Pirates and Prejudice
by Jolanda Den Ouden
Summary: Elizabeth arrives in London, having lost her memory. Her family tries to help her find it back. But will they succeed? And what is this mysterious chest she is carrying around? - this is a cross over with Pirates of the Caribbean. The P&P bit is based on the 2005 movie. Bonus chapter added
1. Chapter 1

_I am in a JA facebook group and someone posted a picture of Keira Knightly and Tom Hollander as Elizabeth Swan holding Cutler Becket at gunpoint, making the joke that this was Lizzy Bennet trying to stop Mr Collins from talking. Someone then said that Keira played both Elizabeth's very similarly.  
This made my inspiration jump up. What if they were one and the same person? That's how I came to this story. I do hope it will be a quick one, but I cannot guarantee it. _

_I hope you will like it!_

_p.s. it is officially a crossover, but as there are hardly stories in that section, I decided to still post it under P&P_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

A young lady walked around near the docks in London, seemingly without a destination. She seemed rather confused.  
Her hair hung loose, she wore men's clothes, which were rather too big for her thin frame. A big scar was visible on her forehead and she looked severely malnourished. But the strangest thing was that she carried a smallish chest close to herself.  
It truly was a mystery who this lady was.

Suddenly she was addressed by a middle-aged looking gentleman, dressed in good quality clothes, although it was clear he did not belong to the ton.

"Lizzy? Elizabeth, is that you? What happened to you? We only expected you to arrive next week!"  
The lady looked confused. Then she said:  
"Elizabeth, yes that is my name! But who are you? And how did you know my name?"  
Now it was the turn of the gentleman to be confused.  
"Elizabeth? Do you not recognise your own uncle?"

"No sir, I have no recollection of having met you before. In fact, I hardly know who I am. You called me Elizabeth and that sounds like my name. But I don't know what has happened. I cannot seem to remember anything!" Then she swayed on her feet. The gentleman stretched out his hand to steady her.

"Careful my dear. Well if you do not remember, I will tell you that I am your uncle Gardener. Come, let me take you home. You look very unwell. Here, let me carry the chest for you. How did you come by it?"  
"No! Do not touch it!" Suddenly Elizabeth became very defensive. "While I cannot recall why I have it with me and what the contents are, I do know that I need to take care of it and that no one else should touch it."

Mr Gardener looked surprised but then called his coach driver and he helped Elizabeth in the carriage.  
She was now very alert and focused, as if she was afraid something was going to happen soon.  
She did not say anything and Mr Gardiner was at a loss as to how to get her to talk. It truly seemed she had lost her memory and he did not know what he could do. He hoped his wife and Jane would be able to help Lizzy. Women were always better at that sort of things.

When they arrived at Gracechurch street, Mr Gardiner helped his niece get out of the carriage, but before they could enter the house, something happened: one of the footmen approached them to help. He stretched his hand to take over the little chest, but Elizabeth with one hand grabbed it tighter while with her other hand as a reflex, she grabbed at her side as if to grab a sword. Only now Mr Gardiner noticed she was wearing a sheath around her waist, but there was no sword.  
The mystery became even greater.

"She will carry it herself. Thank you Johnson," he soothed.  
Elizabeth looked nearly terrified it seemed, when she realised there was no sword.  
She looked wildly about her and then fainted on the spot.

Mr Gardener just caught her and scooped her up in her arms. Surprisingly, she was still holding on to the chest. It almost seemed ingrained behaviour.  
The front door had opened and Mrs Gardiner and Jane appeared.

"Uncle!" the latter exclaimed. "Who is that? What happened?"  
When he came closer, she gasped. "Is that Lizzy? What happened to her? Why is she wearing those clothes? And she looks so thin."  
Mrs Gardener looked no less surprised and shocked.  
"Quick! Bring her to her room upstairs. And then you must tell us where you found her and what happened!"  
Both ladies plus a few maids followed him upstairs while he carried Elizabeth to the room where she always slept whenever she was staying.  
He carefully deposited her on the bed.

His wife now took over.  
"She is unconscious. Do you think she is injured?"  
"I do not know," her husband answered.  
"Well, she is awfully dirty. And what is that chest that she has in her hand?"

"A few times already she has said that no one must touch it. Just before she fainted outside, one of the footmen wanted to take over to carry it for her. She became so agitated and seemed to try to grab for a sword, although I do not know how she has ever seen, let alone carried a sword in her life."  
"How strange," Mrs Gardiner said.

"Poor Lizzy," said Jane. "Something awful must have happened to her. But I cannot understand! I was sure she was still in Kent. Why did she come a week earlier? Her last letter three days ago did not indicate any trouble."  
"Well, let's help her now." Mrs Gardener said, before she shooed her husband out of the room. "We will be quick and then you can tell us what happened."

The ladies, with help of the maids, undressed the unconscious Elizabeth. This proved rather difficult, for even in this state, she did not let go of the chest. Mrs Gardiner decided that, as the clothes would be burned anyway, they could cut it off her arm, without her having to let go of the chest.

A few things surprised Mrs Gardiner and her niece. Elizabeth was not wearing a corset, but a piece of cloth was tied around her chest. There were various scars all over her body. And she was so awfully thin, except for her stomach.  
"Oh aunt, I do not know what happened but she truly must have suffered!" Jane said. "She seems very malnourished. As if she has been eating hardly any food for weeks."  
Her aunt nodded. "You are right. But it is so very strange! You said her last letter from Kent came only a few days ago?"  
"Yes. It doesn't make sense that she is looking as if she has suffered for weeks. For I am sure if something had happened in Kent, we would have heard about it. Charlotte would certainly write to us."

They were relatively relieved to find Elizabeth was not injured. At least not recently. Soon they had washed her as good as they could and put some clothes on her. She truly needed a bath but that must wait until she was awake.  
By now it looked like she was just sleeping, so they left her under the watchful eye of one of the maids and went downstairs.

Mr Gardiner looked anxiously at them.  
"How is Lizzy?" he asked.  
"She seems to be asleep now, although she did not wake up when we were busy with her. We couldn't find any injuries or other things except the fact that she is severely undernourished and there's quite a few scars on her body. Now, husband. Where did you find her and what happened?"

"As you know I needed to be near the docks today and there I saw her walking around. At first I did not recognise her, only when I came closer. She seems to have lost her memory. She recognised her name when I called her Elizabeth. But she did not know who I was, nor could she recall what had happened to her. As I earlier said, she is very protective of that chest. She said she didn't know why, but that she must protect it and no one else is allowed to hold it."

"This truly is alarming. What can have happened to her? I do not understand it!" Jane said, with obvious sorrow sounding through.

"Should we call a physician do you think?" Mr Gardiner asked.  
"I think that would be a wise thing to do, but maybe we should wait until she is awake and see if she remembers more."

Just then they were interrupted by the butler. "A Mr Darcy wishes to speak with you, sir."

* * *

_So, what do you think? _


	2. Chapter 2

_Did you like chapter 1? Here is chapter 2_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_The previous day_

"…that you were the last man on earth I could ever be prevailed upon to marry." Elizabeth spat out these last words! She was seething at the gall of the man before her, that he should think that after such an insulting proposal she would gladly accept him!

They stared at each other. It seemed that he wanted to kiss her, but then he said: "Forgive me, madam, for taking up so much of your time."  
After one last look, Mr Darcy turned around and walked away in the rain.

Elizabeth felt dumbstruck. She sank down against the wall of the temple, still fairly sheltered from the pelting rain. She was shocked to the core. Never had she expected that Mr Darcy might be in love with her. But it was hard to believe as she thought about all he had done; separating Mr Bingley from Jane, treating Mr Wickham very ill. And lastly, his insults towards her family and herself.

She did not know how long she had been sitting there, but suddenly she felt she had to leave.  
She could not bear the idea of being in Mr Darcy's company for another week. Or in the company of his family for that matter. Lady Catherine was insufferable and whilst Colonel Fitzwilliam was kind and a good conversational partner, after the information he had given her just this morning, she felt she could not be in his company either.

Heedless of the rain, Elizabeth ran back to the parsonage and straight up to her room. The last thing she wanted was a worried Charlotte or an obnoxious Mr Collins. Quickly she dried herself off and put on other clothes. Then she quickly packed a bag with her most important belongings and a change of clothes. She trusted that Charlotte would send the rest after her.  
She wrote a brief note to Charlotte to say that she would take the post coach to London to her aunt and uncle. And that Charlotte should not worry about her.

She left the note on her bed, in sight of the door. Then she left the room with her bag, quietly walked through the corridor, down the stairs and out of the servants' entry. Outside she was glad to see that the rain had nearly stopped. Quickly she walked towards the village and only had to wait ten minutes until the coach arrived. She paid the fare and then sat back on the bench inside. There were only two other people sitting with her in the coach. She did not engage in conversation but spent her time looking out of the window.

Her thoughts were in turmoil. Everything she thought she knew about Mr Darcy, suddenly seemed completely inaccurate. At least his behaviour towards herself. She had always thought he disliked her as much as she disliked him; that he only stared at her to find fault. If it was true that he loved her as he said, then the reason why he stared at her was obviously _not_ to find fault.

But what about his first comment about her at the assembly? How could he profess to love her if she was only tolerable?

Her mind reeled with her thoughts. So much so, that soon she developed a severe headache.

At the stop at Bromley, where she had to change to another coach, she took the time to walk inside the inn and ask for a drink. From her reticule she took a little sachet of headache powder and took it with the drink.  
Then she went back outside and entered the coach to London.

The closer she came to the city, the more her attention was drawn to what she saw outside. She had not often made this journey, but thought she did recognise some of the things she saw.  
However, she became slightly worried when they entered a less savoury area. It seemed they were nearing the docks. But that is not where the coach was supposed to go! She started to panic when the coach stopped near the waterside and the coachman said this was the last stop.  
In a daze she stepped out and was handed over her bag.

Had she accidentally entered the wrong coach? And how would she get from here to her uncle's house? There was not much money left in her reticule. The journey had already cost her a great deal of her pin money.  
Holding on to her bag, she stood still for a while, looking around at all the hustle and bustle of the port.

"Miss Elizabeth, what a pleasant surprise! I had not thought we would see you again! And here you are, in London no less!"

She turned in the direction of the voice and saw an unsavoury looking man walking towards her. He looked filthy, and had the countenance of someone who has been at sea for months. He walked a bit unsteady and held a bottle in his hand, of which most liquid was gone.

Elizabeth turned around to walk away, but the sailor caught up with her.  
"Miss Elizabeth, do you not remember me?"

She slightly turned while she kept on walking.  
"Sir, I do not know you. You must mistake me for someone else. Now if you would leave me alone."

The man however was not impressed.  
"Truly Miss Elizabeth. It might be some months since we saw one another, but you cannot pretend that you don't know me." And to her horror, he kept walking next to her, cheerfully chatting. "Where are you going? Did you come here straight after you saw captain Turner sail off? It must have been quite painful for you to say farewell to him. But I guess there is nothing to it. Ten years, is it? Until you will be able to see him again?"

Now Elizabeth got angry.  
"Sir, I do not know you and I have no idea what you are talking about. Leave me alone."

The man was undeterred. "Come, even if you do not remember me, I am sure you will remember the other crew members. Come, we meet at the inn over there. We have all wondered how you were doing, you know, after the battle and all."

Elizabeth now tried to frantically catch the attention of some ladies and gentlemen that walked past, but to no avail.

The man had taken her by the arm and he was very strong.

She regretted now that she had left Hunsford. This was far worse than being in the company of the man whose proposal she had rejected.

_Where is this going...? ;-) You will find out soon. p.s. this story is un-beta'd, so mistakes are my own. Let me know what you think. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Mr Darcy!" exclaimed Jane.  
"Miss Bennet," he bowed shortly.  
"What brings you here, sir? Have you got news on what happened to our Lizzy?"  
"News? What news?" Upon closer look, the man looked rather haggard, as if he hadn't slept all night. Clearly he was very worried.  
"So she is here then?"

"Yes, she is, but…"  
"Good," relief suddenly flooded his face. "Mrs Collins was very worried. Miss Elizabeth left yesterday without a word. Only in the evening Mrs Collins found a letter in Miss Elizabeth's room stating that she had left for London to go to her aunt and uncle. This morning when I visited them, they told me that she had left. I promised to ride to London immediately to see if she had arrived safely. So that is why I am here."

Now Mr Gardiner spoke up. "Jane, would you care to introduce this young man to us?" Jane quickly did so.  
When they all sat down, Mr Gardiner said: "So Mr Darcy, you said Lizzy left Kent yesterday? Do you know the reason? For as far as we know, she was due to come to us only next week. We are most confused, for she did not come to our house, but I found her just a few hours ago, near the docks. At first I hardly recognised her. She was wearing a sailor man's clothes and looked as if she hadn't eaten for weeks. On top of that, she could not remember anything. She did not even recognise me. She is asleep now upstairs."

Worry was now visible on Mr Darcy's face. "This sounds strange! Something must have happened during the night. For if she left yesterday afternoon, under normal circumstances, she should be able to reach London before nightfall."

A piercing scream was heard from upstairs.  
"Lizzy!" Jane jumped up and, followed by the others, ran upstairs. For the moment everyone forgot that Mr Darcy was a stranger in the house and had no apparent reason to go upstairs to see Lizzy.

"Lizzy, what's wrong?" Jane was speaking even before she entered the room.  
Elizabeth was sitting against the headboard, hiding under the counterpane, looking very scared. Her look was nearly wild when she saw the people that came into her room.  
Jane sat next to her on the bed.  
"Oh Lizzy, you are awake! Did you have a nightmare? Something awful must have happened to her!"  
But Elizabeth only retreated further. "Who are you?" her voice a bit harsh. Jane seemed to be taken aback.

"Elizabeth, you did not remember me, but I hoped you surely would remember your sister?" Mr Gardiner said, soothingly.  
"My sister? I cannot remember anything! What happened? My head!"

Now her aunt came forward. "Shh, dear. We will find out what happened to you. Do not worry. You are safe here! If you do not remember me, I am your aunt Gardiner. This is your sister, Jane. And… oh. Mr Darcy? This is Mr Darcy and as far as I know you were in his company when he visited a friend in Hertfordshire and I think you met him as well in Kent?"

The gentleman nodded.  
"Yes, Miss Elizabeth. Yesterday you fled from Hunsford in such a hurry. Your friend Mrs Collins was very worried and I offered to go to London to ascertain that you had arrived safely. It seems you have arrived, but I do not know what happened between the time you left there and arrived here."

Elizabeth only looked more confused. And then grabbed her head with both hands, as if it hurt terribly.  
"Come dear, let me help you lay down," Mrs Gardiner's voice was soft and soothing. "You are clearly not well yet. Try to sleep. Tomorrow we will talk further."

"Could I have some food first please?" the voice sounded meek and subdued for a moment.  
"Of course dear. You must be very hungry. When have you eaten last?"  
Elizabeth tried to find the answer. "I think yesterday evening?"  
Quickly she was provided with some food, which she devoured. Then she went back to sleep.

Her sister, aunt and uncle, and Mr Darcy went downstairs. They were greatly puzzled at Lizzy's state of being. What could have happened that she looked like this? Why did she not remember anything?  
Mr Darcy assured them that she looked healthy last time he saw her. "…Although, when I saw her last, it rained. Maybe she got so wet that she caught some illness?"

They all decided to leave it for now. Hopefully Elizabeth would feel better after a good night's sleep and they would try to solve the problem on the morrow.  
Mr Darcy left after being invited to come back the next day.

None of the people involved slept much that night. Elizabeth seemed to frequently wake up from nightmares, shouting things that they did not understand.

One of those times, Mrs Gardiner went into her niece's room to calm her down, only to find her still asleep but deep into a horrible dream it seemed. With one hand the girl clutched the chest to her body and with the other she was holding a snuffed-out candlestick as if it was a sword. "Go away, Lord Beckett! I am a pirate king and I command you to desist. You will never have the chest!"

Mrs Gardiner raised her brows in confusion. She had no idea what her niece was talking about! Gently she woke up the girl.  
"Elizabeth, shh, it was only a nightmare. You're safe. No one will steal it from you."

The girl looked more frightened when she opened her eyes. She dropped the candlestick, but the chest stayed in her hands.  
"Lizzy, maybe your dreams help you with your memories! You talked about Lord Beckett. Who is he?"  
Now a glint of triumph was visible. "Lord Beckett is dead. He sunk with his ship."  
"Ah, and how do you know about that?"  
"Because I was there," this last was now spoken with conviction.

Mrs Gardiner nodded as if she understood, but she was even more confused. Maybe Elizabeth was still dreaming. Or talking about her dream. How very strange!  
"Do you want something to drink? Or some food perhaps?"  
"Ah yes. Some bread please? And water."

The maid who was still in the room, went out to get the items and then came back. Elizabeth once more ate as if she was starved. Then she felt she could sleep again.

Her aunt wished her goodnight and left.  
But Mrs Gardiner could not sleep. Lizzy's odd dreams and odd behaviour really troubled her. She resolved to send for a physician on the morrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning Jane went to her sister to see how she was and to help her dress. Elizabeth was still in bed and looked a bit suspicious at her, but let her help with getting dressed.  
However, before they wanted to get out of the door, Lizzy suddenly started to retch violently. It happened so quickly that there was no time to fetch something to catch the substance. Jane called for a maid and then helped Lizzy back on her bed.  
"Oh, poor dear. You are not yet well enough to go downstairs."  
Lizzy lay panting on the bed. She was as white as a sheet, but had stopped vomiting.

"Betsy, I think Elizabeth needs a bath before anything else!" Jane said. The maid curtsied and quickly set to work.

Ten minutes later Elizabeth felt slightly better and was able to stand up from the bed. Another maid had cleaned up the mess and had taken the now dirty dress away to be washed.  
Jane thought that Elizabeth looked nervous to get into the bath. As if she did not know what to do.  
Patiently she helped her sister and then personally assisted her in washing. Even though at first Lizzy was very tense, gradually she started to relax.  
Now all the dirt was gone, it was even more visible how thin she was.

Lizzy protested against wearing a corset and Jane let her have her own way eventually. If her sister felt uncomfortable then she must help her.

For the second time that morning they were ready to leave the room.  
Jane was curious as to the chest. During her bath, Lizzy had put it on a chair next to the bath. And now she was holding it again.  
"Is it not heavy?" Jane asked.  
"What? No, not really."  
"Will you not leave it here in your room? No one will steal it from here."  
"NO! I have to keep it with me. I must not let it out of my sight!"  
"But what is inside?" Jane did not know how she came to be so curious. But she truly wanted to find out how she could help Lizzy. "Do you have the key?"  
"No. I cannot remember what is inside. But I do remember that whatever is inside has to do something with the person who has the key."

Lizzy startled when suddenly she saw a quick flash of a handsome sailor before her mind's eye. She tried to hold on to it, but it was gone again.  
Without knowing why, she started to cry. This man was somehow very important to her, but she just could not remember who he was, or where he was.

Meanwhile Jane had led her down the stairs towards the breakfast room. Elizabeth looked around. This seemed to be a fine house. Her aunt and uncle did not seem to be very wealthy, but they led a comfortable life. Their house felt homely and welcoming.  
The two sisters were greeted by not only Mr and Mrs Gardiner, but also by four little children and their nanny.

"Do you remember your cousins, Lizzy?" aunt Gardiner said.  
Elizabeth shook her head. She was confused and the exuberance of the children did not help with her headache.

"What took you so long, girls?" Mr Gardiner then asked.  
"Oh uncle. Lizzy was sick all of a sudden. When she felt better, she had a bath."  
Mrs Gardiner looked at her niece with some pity. "Oh dear. That is not very good! Are you sure you should be eating something now?"  
Lizzy nodded. "I do not feel sick anymore. And I am hungry."  
Once more she ate rather a lot. Soon the children and their nanny left the room.  
"That dress looks too big on you," Mrs Gardiner said. "We should change that after we have finished our breakfast."

"I will be working in my office at home today," Mr Gardiner said after breakfast. "I might go to the warehouse this afternoon. Call me if there is something." He meant: 'Let me know if Lizzy remembers something.'

When the ladies were seated in the parlour, Elizabeth asked: "What does Mr Gardiner do as his work?"  
Her aunt looked up at her. "Your uncle has an import warehouse. He sells exotic goods that he imports from the Indies and the Caribbean."

Another flash went through Elizabeth's brain. She saw a white beach with a clear blue sky and crystal clear water. And the face of another man: "Welcome to the Caribbean, love."  
Who was this man? Before she could focus on what he looked like, the picture faded.  
It made her headache worse.

"Elizabeth?" Her aunt asked. "Are you alright?"  
"Yes, no, I don't know. I thought I remembered something, but I can't place it."

"Lizzy, as you brought none of your own, would you like to do one of my embroidery projects?" Jane asked.  
Elizabeth looked confused when her sister held a basket in front of her. Hesitatingly she took out a piece of cloth, on which tiny stitches formed a beautiful floral picture. She turned it around in her hands, not sure what to do with it.

"I am sorry, Jane, I do not think I can do it." She gave the embroidery back. Jane looked disappointed. "I had hoped that even if your memory was gone, your hands would still remember how to do stitching. Would you like to do something else? Read maybe?"

"That is a good idea, Jane," their aunt said. "Our book collection is not as big as your father's, Elizabeth, but I am sure there will be something there for you. Do you want me to show you where to find them?"  
Elizabeth just nodded and followed her aunt.

After she had found a book and read it for some time, a visitor was announced. It was Mr Darcy.  
He looked worryingly at her.  
"How are you feeling this morning, Miss Elizabeth?" He asked.  
"Eh, well enough, I suppose."  
Elizabeth felt awkward. He sat next to her and seemed to want to talk with her. But not much of substance came out. The man seemed to be painfully shy and seemed to feel guilty about something.

"Mr Darcy. What is the matter? You seem to feel guilty about something."  
He blushed and stuttered: "It… it is of no matter now, I think. Since you do not remember what happened."  
"What happened? Would you tell me, sir? It might help me to get my memory back."

He blushed even more and stuttered even more. After a few false starts, he managed to tell: "I… we had a… conversation before you left that didn't go very well. I fear that it is because of this conversation that you decided to leave for London straight away. I… now feel… that it is my fault that something happened to you. I am so very sorry."

He truly looked guilt stricken.  
"Well, I do not remember anything about it, but I think you take too much upon yourself. Whatever it was, I forgive you."

Darcy looked at her. She forgave him! He wanted to feel happy about it, but he couldn't. He dared not speak with her about the proposal. If she knew about it, he was sure she would withdraw her forgiveness.

"Mr Darcy?" Jane asked. "Yesterday we did not talk about it, but were you going to send a note to Charlotte to tell Lizzy is here? Or would you like me to do it? I could have done it, but I was not sure as to what you had agreed on with Mrs Collins."  
Darcy slapped his forehead. "I entirely forgot! I will write a note now, if you have some paper and a pen for me. If you would like to include a letter as well, then that is not a problem."  
Jane retrieved pen and paper for him, and she herself started to write a note as well. "Do you want to write a few lines as well, Lizzy?" Jane asked.  
"I suppose. I cannot remember who this Charlotte is, but if you say she is my friend I will write something."

Jane gave her the letter and Elizabeth put the pen to the paper, but then paused.  
What do you write to someone you can't remember? She decided to keep it simple.

_I am very sorry that I cannot remember anything, but Jane and Mr Darcy tell me I did stay with you for some weeks. I am sure it must have been a lovely time. I thank you for your hospitality. I want to let you know that I am safely at the house of Mr and Mrs Gardiner now. Yours, Elizabeth._

As soon as the letters were ready, they were sent off to Kent.  
Shortly after, Mr Darcy took his leave.

Mr Gardiner came out of his office and they all had a light meal. Then he said: "I am shortly going to the warehouse. Lizzy, do you feel well enough to come with me? On previous visits you always loved to come and see all the exotic articles and feel the fabrics."  
She slowly nodded. "Are Jane and aunt Gardiner coming too?"  
Mr Gardiner laughed. "No, I am afraid they are not as fond of being there as you are."

They took the carriage to the warehouse, which was only a few blocks away. Elizabeth looked out of the windows with big eyes. She could not remember ever having seen so many people in one place!  
Except… Another memory popped up. A dark and smelly city, built on stakes above water. Wooden houses, strange looking people. And suddenly explosions!  
She ducked her head in a reflex. And then the memory was gone again.

"Are you alright Lizzy?" her uncle asked.  
"I think so. A memory flashed through my mind."  
He looked expectant. "That is good! Does it help?"  
She shook her head. "It is too vague. Just as a quick picture and then it disappears again."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"  
She hesitated and then shrugged her shoulders. Maybe Mr Gardiner would know where to place the picture. If he knew her, he might be able to tell.

She searched for words. "I saw a city with wooden houses, built on stakes in water. It was very noisy and smelly. And there were explosions. That is all."

Her uncle looked very surprised.  
"I am sorry. I cannot imagine where that memory might come from. Is it maybe from a dream?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

They arrived at the warehouse and Mr Gardiner showed her around and then left her alone.

With the chest under her arm, she explored the halls and the shelves in them. So many different things! So many different colours in fabrics, silks and other items. Some of the patterns tickled her memory but she did not know why. There were also various ornaments, made of wood and stone and ivory. There were elephants, monkeys, tigers. Lizzy was fascinated by the variety of things. There was also a small amount of exotic fruits. They were behind lock and key. A clerk, walking past, told her the fruit was so expensive that they had to be careful that it would not be stolen.

Lizzy saw pineapples, coconuts and bananas. There were also mangos and papayas. Suddenly she remembered that last fruit was her favourite. She could nearly taste it on her tongue. She closed her eyes and could almost feel the hot sun on her back and the fresh sea breeze blowing her hair this way and that.

When she opened her eyes, her uncle was standing next to her.

"Are you admiring our tropical fruit? This will be sold only to very rich people. We always have only a few at the time for they often go off during the voyage."  
She nodded. Then she said: "Papaya is my favourite! I wish I could taste one now!"  
She did not notice the strange look on her uncle's face. But he only said: "I am afraid they are too expensive to take one home, my dear."

She continued her exploration and then saw vats with spices. The smell of them was also familiar to her, while she did not know why.  
And further on there was a whole area with barrels and bottles. "You sell rum too?"  
Mr Gardiner nodded and Lizzy suddenly had to laugh, for suddenly in her mind she could see a man with a very disappointed look on his face. "Why is the rum always gone?"  
Upon her uncle's questioning look, she said: "It reminded me of someone I knew who always complained that there was not enough rum."

After another half hour, Lizzy started to feel very tired again. Her head started to ache as well. Mr Gardiner sent her home in the carriage.  
Upon her arrival she excused herself, went to her room and soon fell asleep on the bed.

This time her dreams were very vivid as well as rather pleasant. The handsome sailor was there. He was kissing her on a deserted beach. Then he disappeared into the sea. His words echoed through her mind as she woke up: "Keep a weather eye on the horizon."

When she opened her eyes, she found she was lying with her head against the little chest. Something inside was making a rhythmic noise. She did not know what it was, but the sound made her feel peaceful.

_I guess things are becoming a little more clear, don't you think? ;-)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi all, are you enjoying this story so far? I love reading all your guesses in the comments (keep them coming), but things will become clearer soon. ;-) Here is another chapter:_

**Chapter 5**

_A day earlier_

Elizabeth woke up with a headache. She looked around and did not recognise the place she was in. Where was she and how did she come here? She tried to sit up, but the pounding of her head made her nearly sick. She closed her eyes and rested for a while, before trying again.

Slowly her memories began to come back.  
She remembered now being near the docks, the strange-looking man who had started to talk to her and who had taken her to this place, without listening to her protests. He had kept insisting that she must know him. And his mates, when they had arrived at the inn.

They all greeted her as if they knew her well. They were a very loud bunch of people, a bit rough, but not unfriendly. Elizabeth had been slightly relieved to see a woman among the group. She looked friendly enough and seemed to be in charge of the lot. The woman let her sit next to herself. "Hello Miss Elizabeth, that must be two years since I saw you last! I can see you are well! Have you long been back in England?"

"Long back? I do not know what you are talking about. I have tried many times to tell that eh, man, who took me here, that he must mistake me for someone else."

The woman looked at her. "Are you not Elizabeth then?"  
"Yes, I am Elizabeth. But I have never been outside of England. I do not know what you all are talking about."

The woman seemed in thought for a moment. "Well," she said. "What coincidence then, that there should be another woman in this world, with the same name and who also looks the same as you. May I ask your full name?"  
"I am Elizabeth Bennet. I am from Hertfordshire."  
"I don't know where Hertfordshire is, but it is nice to meet you. I am Annamaria and this lot is my crew."  
"Your crew? Are you a captain? Do they let you?"

Annamaria laughed. "Oh yes, and they'd better. I have grown up with nearly only men around me and I have discovered that they are nothing without a woman around. Besides, I am rather my own captain, than to have to sail under a man. I have done that for a while and it nearly went wrong."

Elizabeth listened with an open mouth.  
This woman had clearly seen a lot of the world and seemed to be able to reign over a bunch of sailors who did her bidding. Astonishing!

"So, Annamaria, who then is this other lady that you thought I was?"  
"Well, as you surmised, her name is also Elizabeth, and I swear you could be twins. She has sailed with us on some of our voyages. I believe her full name is Elizabeth Swan. Although Jim tells me he saw her some months ago and said she had married some captain. I do not know more about it."  
Elizabeth now started to understand a bit more.

"Well, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, but I must find a way to get to my uncle's house in Cheapside. I believe I may have taken the wrong coach, which ended me up at the docks."  
"No, you can't, Elizabeth. Have you seen it's dark outside? And it is not safe around here. Are they expecting you? Maybe you could send them a note?"  
Elizabeth's face fell when she remembered why she had come to London on this day.  
"They do not know I am coming. I guess you are right. But I don't know if I have money enough to stay in this inn. Is it safe? Is it clean?"

Annamaria laughed a bit. "Clean enough and it may look a bit raggedy, but the innkeeper is a good fellow. As to money, I might be able to lend you some and you can pay me back?"  
"That sounds like a good idea. I do not know what else to do."  
Her companion smiled. "Good! I like it to have some female company every now and then! It reminds me of my sisters at home."  
"You have sisters too? Where are they? Where is your home?"  
"Yes, I have two sisters, and four brothers besides. And home is Port Royal, in the Caribbean. But I haven't been there for nearly two years. We have been mostly underway."

"Two years! Such a long time! I have just come from visiting a friend in Kent for a few weeks. I have enjoyed it, but it will be nice to be back with my family. They can be very loud, but I do love them. My favourite sister though, is in London with my aunt and uncle. I am looking forward to seeing them again."

A man next to her started to talk to her. His accent was difficult to understand. Annamaria answered his question for her. "Scar, this lady is not who you thought she is." She then got the attention of all the men. Her voice was loud enough to be heard on deck of a ship, whenever she needed to give orders.

"Men, I am sorry to disappoint you. Jimmy, I'm afraid you have taken the wrong Elizabeth with you. She may look like Elizabeth Swan, but that is not her name. I have apologised to her for the confusion and explained that she truly looks like Miss Swan. However, her name is Elizabeth Bennet. For tonight she will be our guest, as it is too late for her to travel on. It goes without saying that you will all treat her with respect."

The men started to talk over each other. They could not believe they had been so deceived.  
"As two drops of water," Jim said.  
They ordered food and a round of drinks.  
Elizabeth felt a bit strange at first, between these rough sailors, but she had an adventurous spirit and soon enjoyed listening to all the stories they told about their adventures.

It got later and later and they kept pouring her drinks. She drank rum for the first time in her life. At first she did not really like it, but soon she got used to the taste. Soon she was laughing with them as if she had always known them.

Eventually Annamaria took her up to a room where there were two cots. Elizabeth noticed she hardly could stand on her legs. She must have drunken too much. She giggled. Well there was a first in her life!  
She soon had fallen asleep, despite Annamaria snoring in the other cot.

And now she had woken up with a headache from too much drinking.  
Annamaria was nowhere to be seen. Elizabeth slowly got out of bed, being careful to not make sudden movements. Her bag was next to her bed, but she had slept in the clothes she had travelled in. She thought she looked not too rumpled. Once she would arrive at her aunt and uncle's she would take a bath and change her clothes. For now, she rearranged her hair, smoothed her skirts, washed her face and then went downstairs, taking her bag with her.

She was greeted by the crew, who were having breakfast. Annamaria pointed to a chair next to herself and soon Elizabeth was eating her own breakfast. The fare was simple but good.

During breakfast they told her they would start loading cargo today and for this reason the ship had to come closer to the docks. Right now it was further out in the harbour for anchor as the previous days there had been no space near the quay.  
Another ship would leave the docks today. It had come from the Caribbean and Annamaria's crew had met the crew of that ship a few times.

They asked Elizabeth if she would come with them. They would row in groups out to the ship and then make it ready to be sailed to the quayside.

Elizabeth hesitated. She really must go to her family. Charlotte would probably be worried, even though she had left a note. If Charlotte had sent word to the Gardiners, they would be worrying as to where she was.

But to be on a real ship!  
Elizabeth's sense for adventure got the better hand in her decision making. It would probably only take a few hours. What could be the harm in that? Her new companions seemed friendly enough.  
So she assented to their invitation. A little cheer went up and then everyone stood up, gathered their belongings and walked out of the inn.

It must have looked strange to see a gentlewoman in the middle of a group of sailors. Elizabeth noticed Annamaria got strange looks from people walking past, because of her dark skin. But most of her crew was sun tanned, so it was not very obvious.

In a corner at the quayside was a dinghy moored. It fitted ten people easily. They would have to go in two groups. Elizabeth went with the first lot.

It was scary to jump into the boat and it was also a bit scary to be on the water. She wasn't easily frightened, but this was her first time in a boat. It gave her a queasy feeling in her stomach. With awe she looked around them, where all over the harbour ships were moored. From very tall sailing ships, to smaller fishing boats. The harbour was buzzing with activity. Cargo was loaded and unloaded; rough-looking sailors shouted all sorts of things to each other. Annamaria pointed towards a ship with the name Margarita, and told her that this was the ship that would soon leave, the one that came from the Caribbean. She said the ship berthed in Port Royal. Her own ship was from a more obscure town which Elizabeth had never heard of but which was also in the Caribbean.

Then Annamaria pointed in the distance towards another ship. That is where they were heading, she said.  
Elizabeth was surprised. "That looks very far away!"  
The woman nodded. "It's about half an hour of rowing."

This worried Elizabeth. For this meant that when they would finally arrive at the ship, they would have to wait an hour in total for the rest of the crew to arrive. Then they probably had to make the ship ready to sail. She thought it might take less time for such a big ship to sail into the harbour, but she wasn't sure.

This adventure would likely take much longer than she had anticipated.  
Then she shrugged her shoulders.  
She was not careless, but now that she had decided, she must go with it. And it really thrilled her to be on a ship and pretend she was on full sea.

_So, is the mystery solved now? ;-)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you to all the reviewers! :-) It seems like the mystery really is getting unravelled. ;-)_

**Chapter 6**

When they finally arrived next to the ship, Elizabeth felt slightly intimidated. From so close it was gigantic. Jim gave her instructions as to how to climb the dangling ladder. It seemed they all had fun in showing a non-sailor how their life looked like.  
Elizabeth felt slightly out of breath when at last she was handed onto the deck. It had been a bit scary with her long skirts, but she had managed.

Two men stayed in the dinghy. They would row it back to pick up the other members of the crew.  
On board Annamaria now started giving orders. She appointed Jim to show Elizabeth the captain's cabin for when she needed some privacy, and after that he would give her a tour over the ship.  
Soon all around her was full of activity. Orders were given and repeated. Men were hauling on various ropes.  
Elizabeth tried to stay out of the way as much as possible.

She was amazed at Annamaria. On shore she had been a kind enough lady with a lot of self-confidence. Here on board it was clear who was the boss and her crew obeyed her without hesitation.  
This was truly such a different world!

Annamaria had been looking at the sky various times already. Then she would look towards the quay and sigh.  
"What is the matter Annamaria?" Elizabeth asked.

"Can you see those clouds on the horizon?" Annamaria pointed. "There's a big storm coming up. I hope my other men will make it in time before it starts. It can become very rough out here with a storm like that. It also seems that the Margarita won't be sailing yet. I can't see much activity there."

She handed Elizabeth the spyglass. Fascinated by the instrument, Elizabeth took it, looked at it for a moment, before placing it in front of her eye. After some adjustment she could distinguish the quay side and after moving along a little further she saw the Margarita. The deck was full of people, but they seemed to fasten everything in preparation for the storm. It did not look like they were getting ready to sail.

Then she asked: "Do you want the spyglass back now?"

Annamaria shook her head. "No, you may use it for a while. I am going to halt the preparations for sailing." And after shouting some orders, she said: "It is very likely my other men will have some news. If they confirm that we can't get into the harbour, all our work will be for nothing. Best to stop now than having to redo everything."

After about ten minutes they could see the dinghy approach. It looked like the men on board were trying to row as fast as they could. And when Elizabeth turned around, she was surprised at how much those dark clouds had advanced. The wind was picking up and it was fascinating to see how the waves began to get higher.

The first thing the men called when they got out of the dinghy was, that the ship would have to stay in place. And that they must be quick in getting prepared for the storm.  
Everything was now being tied securely to the deck.  
The first drops of rain started to fall. Annamaria called to Elizabeth that she should go indoors. A lady like her should not have to get wet.  
Elizabeth took the advice and went into the captain's cabin. From a window she could see the activity. Everyone was working as fast as they could, eager to get under cover.  
The rain started to fall faster and the wind picked up even more. Elizabeth felt the ship being rocked by the waves, but for now it was not an unpleasant feeling.

Suddenly the thought struck her: Would she now be able to go on land again? If the weather stayed like this, it was not likely they would have the dinghy go to the quayside just to bring her back.  
She started to regret her decision to join Annamaria and her crew. She could see in her mind the worried faces of Jane and of her aunt and uncle. But there was nothing she could do.

Annamaria entered with her first mate. They talked for a moment and then the captain said: "Well Elizabeth, we are now ready for the storm. It is likely to stay like this all day. I am afraid we will not be able to bring you back ashore. Would you join us below deck?" Elizabeth nodded and then followed the woman to the narrow steps and down into the depths of the ship. All men gathered around a large table. For a while they talked and the second lot that came from the harbour told what they had heard before they left.  
After that, Annamaria set most of them to work. There was a cook who was going to get busy in the galley and the majority of others went to the lowest deck as Annamaria thought it convenient to use this time for some cleaning and scrubbing.  
Elizabeth could soon here a lot of noise. Things were moved, the sound of splashing water and brushes rubbing the floor. And singing. It sounded awfully off tune but quite jolly.

"I have to do some work in my cabin," Annamaria said. "Would you like to join me?" Elizabeth nodded and both women went upstairs again.  
While Annamaria was filling in some charts and doing other things Elizabeth did not understand, she decided to write some letters.

She wrote a note for her aunt and uncle, just in case she got the chance to send it off to them. Then she wrote a letter to Jane, to tell her about everything that had happened so far. And after that she got out her journal and started writing in it as well. It made her stop to think. So many things had distracted her in the last few hours, that she had nearly forgotten about that disastrous proposal. Now, writing in her journal, she wanted to be honest with herself and examined her feelings about the whole ordeal. She still felt anger rising when she thought about what Mr Darcy had said. In the end she _was_ glad that she had left Hunsford when she did.  
She decided to write down all that she remembered the sailors had been telling. Most likely lots of their stories were highly exaggerated. Still, it was very exciting to hear them told.

After their tasks were done, everyone gathered around the large table again. Outside it was still pouring with rain and the wind was very strong.  
Inside it was quite pleasant. Some food and of course drink came on the table.  
The rest of that day Elizabeth heard many fantastical stories. They told her about fighting a cursed crew of undead pirates. The men described seeing these pirates, who, by day looked like normal people, but by moonlight were transformed in an army of skeletons.  
Elizabeth shivered of the horrors, but she knew it must be made up for most part.  
Annamaria told her how once they had tried to out-sail the fastest ship in the Caribbean on the second-fasted ship. And how they had failed and had been captured.

When evening fell, the storm had slightly lessened in force, but the rain continued to fall relentlessly. The meal on board was nothing particularly special, rather plain, but Elizabeth had hardly enough time to pay much attention to her food.

These sailors were rough, somewhat savage people. They were not used to be in company of a gentlewoman and seemed to have never heard of propriety or etiquette. Their speech did Elizabeth blush sometimes. But this was such a different world to that of her own, she could not really blame them. Besides, she found that beneath that rough exterior, most men were good-natured fellows.

Annamaria invited Elizabeth to share her cot in the captain's cabin as there was no other place she could stay.  
It was rather cramped, but, since she was tired of the day's events, she slept too soon to be very bothered about it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

At dinner that evening Elizabeth's family were all looking at her and asking how she was feeling. Elizabeth did not know what to make of it. She also did not know what to answer. Yes, she had a headache most of the time and yes, she was tired and yes, she had lost her memory. But other than that it wasn't so bad, was it?

After the meal her aunt and Jane asked how she had liked the warehouse that afternoon. Elizabeth explained what she had seen and how some items had stirred some memories inside. She thought back about the fruits and her mouth nearly watered.

Her family seemed to get more and more confused. The things she told she remembered, did not match at all with what they knew of their niece and sister.  
Mrs Gardiner then remembered her resolve of last night to call a physician. She had forgotten all about it! Tomorrow she should call him!

Elizabeth felt restless. Her aunt and sister were doing some embroidery, and her uncle was reading the newspaper. Elizabeth stood in front of the window. It was dark outside and the rain fell as it had fallen most of the day. She closed her eyes and felt swaying on her feet. There was shouting all around her, she could almost feel herself getting drenched by the rain…

"Elizabeth?" her thoughts were interrupted. She turned back to the people in the room.  
"Would you like to read for us?" It was her aunt's voice.  
She nodded, sat down near them and opened the book next to her chair.

Suddenly she was interrupted by Mr Gardiner.  
"Madeline, what name did you mention again last night that Elizabeth had used in her dreams?"  
Mrs Gardiner thought for a moment. "It was something like Lord B…, Lord Becket?"

Elizabeth's head shot up.

"Yes, that is the one. He is mentioned here in the newspaper. It says here his ship sank during a battle some four months ago. Apparently they only just now heard about it."

Mrs Gardiner's mouth stood open and she stared at Elizabeth. "You said he was dead, that he sunk with his ship! How did you know?"  
Elizabeth felt confused and rather unsettled when her three companions all looked at her with their mouths agape.  
"Well, yes. That was what happened, I remember now." In her memory she could hear cannonball shots and the sound of splintering wood. People jumping overboard. Cheering.  
The pain in her head started to suddenly become unbearable again.  
"I'm sorry. I need to lie down."

Jane got up and helped her to her room, where Elizabeth soon was asleep again.

Her night was full of nightmares. All sorts of monstrous creatures appeared. Very often somewhere in the scene the handsome sailor would appear. Who was he? It was strange, for one moment she would be frightened by the creatures around her, but the next moment she would feel strangely safe when the man appeared next to her. They would fight them side by side and conquer them.

Until he sunk into the wild waves.  
"Nooo," she shouted. "Don't leave me!"

She woke up from her own voice. Tears were streaming down her face.  
Her aunt and Jane were staring at her, full of compassion.  
She still felt frightened. Then she noticed that in her sleep, the chest had been pushed towards the other side of her bed. Quickly she pulled it towards herself and embraced it. Her breathing slowed. The chest calmed her down somehow.

"Are you alright?" Her aunt asked.  
She sat next to her on the bed and gently patted her arm.  
"There, there. It was just a dream!"  
But Elizabeth wasn't so sure about that.

Jane asked: "Do you want to talk about it?"  
Elizabeth shivered. "I can't! It was too frightening!"  
Mrs Gardiner kept stroking her arm until Elizabeth had calmed down enough and felt she could sleep again.

Next morning, even before breakfast, Mrs Gardiner sent someone to fetch a physician. While she did not think it very urgent, it was necessary.

Then she went to see her niece, who was still asleep, holding tightly onto the chest. Mrs Gardiner was as curious as Jane, but as Lizzy had not been able to tell what was inside, she could not satisfy her curiosity.

Elizabeth began to stir and then sat up.  
"Good morning dear. How did you sleep?"  
Elizabeth looked confused at first but then greeted her back.  
"Are you ready to get up or would you like to stay in bed? I can have your breakfast brought here for you."  
Her niece shook her head. "No, I can come downstairs."

When she got out of bed, she was swaying on her feet, but soon steadied herself. Aunt Gardiner helped her to get dressed and they went downstairs.  
Before they reached the breakfast room however, Mrs Gardiner saw her niece sway again and suddenly looking very pale. Before she could do anything, Elizabeth was sick all over the floor.  
"I… am… sorry aunt," she managed to say after she had finished. She sank down on the floor and leaned back against the wall, all strength gone.  
Her aunt quickly called some servants and the area was cleaned, and so was Miss Elizabeth.  
For at least ten minutes she sat there, eyes closed. "Do you think…? Should you not go back to bed?" her aunt asked.  
She only shook her head. "I will be fine in a moment."

Jane appeared downstairs and found them.  
"Oh no, aunt. Did she do it again? I wonder what could cause this to happen. We really should call a doctor."  
Mrs Gardiner nodded. "I have summoned one half an hour ago. I expect him to arrive sometime during the morning."  
"Good," Jane answered, while she sat next to her sister.  
"How are you feeling Lizzy?" she asked gently.  
"A bit… wobbly," was the answer.  
A glass of water was brought and Jane helped her drink it.

When she felt well enough again, they helped her to her feet and then all went to breakfast.  
It was strange that so shortly after being sick, she still had such an appetite. It was as if Elizabeth needed to make up for the time she apparently had not had enough to eat.

Soon after breakfast the doctor arrived. They walked upstairs so he could examine Elizabeth in her room.  
He took the time, looked closely at the scar on her forehead, asked _her_ questions as well as her aunt and sister. They told about her having been sick now twice and about the headaches she continually had.

After he was finished, the doctor spoke: "I agree with you about the malnutrition. She should have a variety of foods, and and you should make the portions not too large, for that could be dangerous. Other than the scar of a quite recent injury on the forehead – which probably is the cause of the memory loss – I can see no other injuries. I am fairly sure that in time the headache will go away and hopefully the memory will also come back, although I cannot say this for sure.

Oh, and there is one more thing I must tell: I do not know if you are aware, but Miss Elizabeth is with child."  
It was very quiet for a moment as everyone was trying to let this news sink in.

"With child?" Mrs Gardiner gasped at last.  
"Yes. I cannot say exactly how long, because of the rest of her condition, but I am guessing she has been for around four months now."

The room fell deadly quiet after this. The women did not know what to say.

At last the doctor said: "Ahem. This is all I can tell at this moment. Enough sleep, not too much noise, and good food must help to get her better. If anything changes, do let me know. If you will excuse me now, I have another appointment to go to."

"Yes, yes. Of course," Mrs Gardiner said. "I will see you out." The doctor greeted them all and followed Mrs Gardiner out.

"Oh Lizzy," Jane exclaimed. She could not understand this news. How was it possible that her sister was with child? She counted back in her head, and found it must have happened around Christmas. Did something happen after she herself had left with her aunt and uncle for London? She realised how long it was since she had seen her sister. They had written to each other of course – so often that it had almost felt as if they were still near each other. But it was not the same as living in the same house. Lizzy could have kept quiet about certain things in her letters. Mr Darcy had said that when he saw her last in Kent, she looked healthy. But as far as Jane knew, before they had met again in Kent, Mr Darcy had not seen Lizzy for some months either, not since the Netherfield Ball, to be precise.

This memory made Jane sad. Through all the commotion about Lizzy, she had almost forgotten about Mr Bingley and about her heartbreak.  
She pushed her thoughts away and turned her attention back to her sister, who was lying still on her bed with her eyes closed.

"Lizzy? How are you feeling? Are you shocked?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes.  
"Yes, I must say it is a shock. I cannot remember what happened to me, where I was four months ago. I do not know what to think." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes again. "My head aches. I want to sleep again."

Jane nodded. "Well, I shall leave you then, Lizzy. Sleep well!"  
Quietly she left the room and went downstairs.

She found her aunt leaning against the wall near the front door.  
"Aunt? Are you alright?" Her aunt was roused and came towards her. She embraced Jane.  
"I am just so absolutely shocked. I do not know what to think! The more I hear, the less I understand."  
Then she said: "I must tell your uncle! This cannot wait!"  
She called a servant and asked him to send someone to the warehouse to ask Mr Gardiner to come home.

Now Jane became alarmed too: "My parents! We ought to let them know what happened. Although, I would be afraid to tell them about the pregnancy. How my mother would wail that Lizzy ruined us all! Poor Lizzy."

Her aunt replied. "I believe you are right. But I don't think we should tell them too much. The doctor has told that Lizzy should rest. And I can just imagine that your mother would descent upon us, upsetting the whole house with her lamentations. This would not be helpful to Lizzy's recovery."

Jane nodded. "As much as I wished I could tell you that you are wrong, I know that is how it would be. I think it's best that we send a short note to them, telling that Lizzy arrived here earlier than we anticipated and that she is not very well, but that we are taking care of her and that we will let them know if there is more to tell."

"Yes, let us do that. I think it would be best if Lizzy herself would tell them that she is with child. But after she has recovered some more."  
After that agreement, both ladies went into the drawing room and Jane sat down to write a note to her family.

Mr Gardiner arrived and they told him the news.  
He was quiet for a long time. At last he said: "Whatever has happened to Lizzy, we _will_ take care of her. Even if it happened through a fault of hers, she deserves our love, and so does the child."  
Mrs Gardiner smiled at him. "I agree with you, husband. She must feel safe in our house."

They were suddenly interrupted as the butler threw open the door into the drawing room. He looked positively shocked!  
"What is the matter, James? You look as if you have seen a ghost!"  
The man could only nod and then pointed towards the hall, not able to speak a word.

Curiously they all followed him into the hall.

Three gasps were heard when they saw the person who had just stepped through the door.

_A.N. Now, who would that be, arriving at their front door? To be continued... ;-)  
P.S. I don't know if I will be able to post 2 chapters tomorrow, as 1 of them still needs to be written (and I won't have much time tomorrow). But we'll see._


	8. Chapter 8

_This chapter is a bit longer, for there was a lot that needed to be told in this chapter. I hope you're still enjoying the story, now that we have sort of unravelled the mystery. Of course the characters in the story don't know yet. _

**Chapter 8**

_A day earlier_

Elizabeth woke up to find that it was still raining outside. She discovered Annamaria was not in the cabin anymore. She found her with the rest of the crew below-deck.  
The morning was spent there, with some card games, - some of which a gentlewoman would never play – and more stories.  
Annamaria had some men on watch to see if the weather would change and also if the Margarita or any other ship would move. For then she would get them ready to get into that place.

In the beginning of the afternoon the storm had subsided, the rain nearly stopped. Elizabeth got on deck and walked around. She had started to feel a bit claustrophobic, being indoors. There was not much space on deck, but it was good to be in the fresh air and see the clouds sail by in the sky.

Then suddenly Annamaria gave the command to get ready to sail.  
When all men were busy following her orders, Elizabeth asked her: "I was wondering why you are going to move? I see no ship in the harbour moving yet."  
Annamaria laughed a moment. "Look in the other direction. See those two ships coming?"  
Elizabeth nodded.

"Well, they have probably stayed out at sea, waiting for the storm to subside so they could get into the harbour. They will want a space as soon as possible. And I don't want to miss out. We are going to move closer, so that as soon as a ship moves, we can take its place."  
Elizabeth thought for a moment and then spoke: "I do not want to appear impolite in suggesting it, but what if those ships need the place more than you?"  
Now Annamaria laughed fully. "You think me selfish? Well, maybe part of me is selfish, but I have merchants waiting to get their cargo onto my ship. I have already had a delay of a day. They will not want to wait longer, for they will make loss because of it."

"What will be the cargo?" Elizabeth asked.  
"Things for British people who live oversea, like British ale, even cattle. It doesn't matter that some Brits decided to live on the other side of the world to enjoy the bounties of exotic places; they must have their own food. They simply can't seem to live without drinking their own ale and eating their own reared beef."  
Elizabeth laughed. "I see. And I guess I understand now, why delay is not desirable, for every day extra that they have to look after the cattle, they will have to feed the animals and I guess they take up a lot of space."  
"Exactly!" was her friend's answer. "They will want to get rid of their ware as soon as possible, so it won't cost them more money. Now excuse me."  
Annamaria walked away and Elizabeth was happy to observe all that was going on around her.

She took the spyglass and looked towards the two ships that moved closer. They both bore the British flag. She wondered where they had been and what they had seen on their voyage.

There was a whole world out there and Elizabeth had only just now started to realise that. Her life so far had been very secluded. Oh yes, she had read books about other parts of the world. She had enjoyed stories about exotic places. But meanwhile her life had always continued as it was, mostly in their own little bubble in Hertfordshire, with visits in the neighbourhood, gossip and balls. She smiled when thinking about her mother's antics. Of course she had seen a little more of the country by visiting her aunt and uncle. But it was still all fairly safe.

There were many people out there, many dangers in life, many sorrows, but also many joys. She looked again at the two British ships. How would those sailors feel? Were they happy to get back to England or were they sad? Had they left someone they loved somewhere behind or would someone be waiting for them here? Had they lost friends on the voyage or had they made new ones?

Elizabeth had always loved to watch people and sketch characters. She remembered a conversation between herself and Mr Bingley at Netherfield about it and her mother's reaction at Mr Darcy's comments.

She now found it even more fascinating to meet people from different cultures. Her new friends all spoke English, yet they were so different from the people she knew in England. Whilst she had sat safely in her father's library, reading books, or had rambled around in the countryside, they had toiled on this ship, keeping it afloat on a raging sea, looking out for dangers. Or they would have looked towards the horizon, seeing the sun sink into the sea yet another time.

She wondered if she would be able to live like them. See new places; having adventures, but also experiencing hardships; discovering the beauties of the world, meeting other people and see other cultures. It sounded amazing, but in the end Elizabeth decided that she was quite happy with her life as it was. She was very grateful though, that she had had this opportunity to have a taste of a different life, to meet the other culture without having to go really far. She was still in England, still in London, but it almost felt as if she had spent these past days in a whole other world.

Tonight or tomorrow she would be back in her own life, worrying about trivial things, seeing with her own eyes how Jane was doing, who in her letters still sounded sad and subdued due to the sudden disappearance of Mr Bingley. Oh, and she would be thinking about Mr Darcy. She would likely never see him again, but still the whole ordeal would be on her mind for a long time yet.

She was interrupted in her musings when the ship started to move. Ever so slowly Annamaria stirred the ship closer towards the quay. Everyone was on the lookout for if there was an obstruction somewhere, it would take time for the ship to be able to avoid it.  
Elizabeth's admiration for Annamaria grew with the minute. That lady seemed to know exactly what she was doing and her crew trusted her.

It was one of the things that fascinated Elizabeth the most. In this world at sea, it was possible for a woman to lead men. And not just stay quietly at home, raising children. Women were able to have adventures as much as men could. It was a world where women could make business transactions and could keep a bunch of men in line. One where a woman earned and gained respect through her self-confidence and bravery, as well as wisdom and experience.  
Elizabeth was determined to try to live up to that. Even if her own society was different, it must be possible!

Finally, the ship reached the spot in the harbour that was exactly right, according to Annamaria. The only ship that had moved out was a small fishing boat, so they truly had to wait until another space became available.

It had started to rain again. They were now only about fifteen minutes rowing from the quayside, but Annamaria wanted to keep everyone on board, just in case a space would appear. People stayed on watch all the time and others were preparing the cargo hold to receive the cargo once they would be able to start loading.

And so another evening fell. Elizabeth heard many more stories, one of which was about a battle in the middle of a maelstrom. Jim was doing the most of the telling as he was one of very few who had actually been there. He told how they had to fight people who had turned into some sort of sea monsters due to a curse, in pelting rain and where you not only had to be careful to not get killed by swords and pistols, but, due to the position of the ship – all but hanging on the edge of the maelstrom – also try to not fall overboard because of the angle.

Eventually the enemy ship had sunk after its captain had died and the maelstrom was gone. However, very soon after, the ship had resurfaced, now having a different captain under which it had turned into an ally.

The story was so fantastical that Elizabeth had difficulty understanding how someone could be so clever to make up something like that. But Jim was adamant it had really happened as he told. "You know, that new captain of the Flying Dutchman is the man who married your namesake. And I am sure Will Turner will be a much better captain than Davy Jones has ever been."

Later on, Annamaria said to her: "Elizabeth, I know how fantastical these stories sound, but have you ever realised how much is out there that we know nothing about? There are many mysteries in the world and in life. If someone had told me beforehand about a crew of undead skeletons, I would have laughed and dismissed it as nonsense. But I have seen them and it was truly horrific. Don't be so sure to dismiss things, just because they don't fit with our human logic.  
We might exaggerate sometimes - don't all people do that now and then? – but the core of the story is true."

Annamaria looked so earnest at her. Elizabeth didn't really know what to say or think and just nodded.

The next morning Elizabeth lay awake for a while, thinking about the conversation she had had with Annamaria before they went to sleep. Elizabeth had told her about Mr Darcy and the proposal.  
"Sounds like a very arrogant man!" Annamaria had said. "How can he say things like that to someone? But, are you sure that you would not marry him? After all, he is very rich."  
Elizabeth laughed. "Money doesn't entice me. I want to marry for love."  
"But would you not learn to love him in time? He does sound like an intelligent man who is not afraid to debate with you and he does seem to value you for your own intelligence."

"That is true, but I cannot. Not after what he did to my sister and also to poor Mr Wickham."

"Elizabeth, could it be that you are a bit biased? By what you told me, he really seemed to believe that your sister held no deep regard for his friend. Of course _you_ know she did, but that is because you know her so well. How can you expect near-strangers to see the same thing when only being in the same company on certain occasions? He may be wrong in his assumption, but I _can_ understand it."

Unwillingly Elizabeth had to admit it sounded logical. Maybe she had to give him the benefit of the doubt on that score. Of course, now that she thought of it, there was also Mr Bingley himself, who seemed to be very easily persuaded by others, without verifying if it was actually true what those other people said. Elizabeth still thought that he and Jane were perfect for each other, but he would have to learn to make his own decisions and become more his own person.

Then Annamaria had said: "As for this Mr Wickham: have you never thought it strange that he told you about his misfortunes having only just met you? Who would tell their life story to a virtual stranger? I find this very odd. I do not know whether his story was true – and no, don't repeat what you said about the honesty and sincerity in his looks when he told you that – but I have met many, many people in my life and not all people who look sincere are it. Some people are just very good liars.  
Maybe you should find a way to get the story from both sides; this will give you a better opportunity to form an opinion."  
Elizabeth had thanked her for her wise words and they had laughed together, before falling asleep.

Now it was morning once again and Elizabeth could see that the sun was out. She decided to change into her spare dress. The one she had been wearing since she left Hunsford, was far from clean by now. She was fairly sure that later on that day she would be able to finally go to her aunt and uncle's house. This would also mean saying goodbye to her new friends. It gave her mixed feelings. She did look forward to have her life go back to normal, but she had enjoyed having a taste of this other life! And Annamaria had become a dear friend in the past days.

On deck she was greeted cheerfully. The sun shone and it cheered them all up after two days, no three days, of rain.  
After some breakfast, Annamaria gave the orders to get ready to move once more. A ship at the quayside was getting ready to sail out, so they would take its place.

It took quite some time before they were finally moored. Elizabeth was fascinated with the way it went, especially how enormous mooring lines were thrown onto the quay and then fastened.

Annamaria was eager to get into contact with the merchants, so, after Elizabeth had said goodbye to all the crew, they both went ashore. They first went to the inn where they had stayed that first night, to ask the landlord where Elizabeth should take the coach. The good man gave the directions minutely (including where Elizabeth would have to change to another coach.). They thanked him and then walked in the direction of the coach stop.

"Thank you so much, Annamaria, for taking me on board and helping me out! I have had a great time and will never forget it."  
Annamaria laughed. "The pleasure is all mine, Elizabeth. I enjoyed having you around. As I said before, it is nice to have some female company every now and then. I feel we have really become friends in these past days. Thank you for coming with us!"  
Then Elizabeth said: "I promised to pay you back when you paid my stay in the inn. When will you be sailing out?"  
"Friday at the earliest and Monday at the latest, weather providing."  
"Ah, good. I hope I will find a way to come here again in the coming days, before you leave, to pay you back. If I cannot come myself, I will make sure to send it with a note."

Annamaria nodded and then they hugged.  
"Farewell my friend. Until we meet again."  
Elizabeth waved after her and then Annamaria was gone. It was strange to say goodbye, but life went on.

She turned around and walked towards the coach stop. When she was nearly there, a stranger addressed her: "Hello Miss, I hope you found your way last Monday."  
Elizabeth looked puzzled. Another person thinking he knew her?  
Instead of entering a conversation, she just answered: "Thank you, I did," and then walked on.

The coach journey took a good while, especially because she had to wait at the stop where she had to change. But at last her aunt and uncle's house came in sight.

How strange it must be to be back with her family! It truly was as if she came back from another world.  
She was a bit afraid that her family must be really concerned about her now. They had not heard from her for three days. She hoped her arrival would not be too great a shock for them.

Walking up the familiar steps, she knocked on the door.  
The butler opened and straight away his eyes got big in shock.  
"Hello James, will you tell my aunt and uncle that I have arrived? I am very sorry to have been the cause for worry, but I am here now."

Without saying a word, the good man turned around and nearly ran towards the drawing room, leaving the door open.  
Elizabeth stepped in and closed the door behind herself. Some commotion was heard from the drawing room. Then her aunt, uncle and sister Jane walked into the hall and looked positively shocked to see her.

_A.N. I just wanted to say that this story is all made up, so I have no idea if ships in that time ever took cattle with them to bring to other places overseas.  
__Another note: I know that the Pirates of the Caribbean story is set around the mid-1700's or a bit before, and that P&P is officially around 1800. But for this story I have used the P&P timeline, which officially would mean that the piracy era is sort of over. But, as I am writing this story, I find I am allowed to take some liberties and mess up with history. ;-) I hope you won't be offended. ;-)  
P.S. I hope I can manage to write another chapter today to post tonight (I'm in UK), but if not, I'm sorry and then you'll have to wait until tomorrow._


	9. Chapter 9

_Here it is... ;-) _

**Chapter 9**

Mrs Gardiner was the first who managed to speak: "Lizzy? How…? I do not understand. But you are upstairs sleeping!"  
Elizabeth was confused. "Aunt, I am here. I came back. I was not here before!"  
"If this is really you, who is upstairs then?" Mr Gardiner asked. "We were all convinced it was you."  
"What are you talking about, uncle?"  
"A lady who looks just like you. I found her near the docks on Monday. We all thought it was you. The lady had lost her memory, she said, but when I called her Elizabeth, she responded that she recognised it as her name."  
"How very strange," Elizabeth said.

Now Jane came forward. "Oh Lizzy, is it really you?" She hugged her. "I am so glad to see you. And so relieved…" Here she looked at her aunt who had come to the same conclusion: If the lady upstairs was not their Lizzy, then it was not their Lizzy who was with child.  
But then Jane reminded herself that the lady still would need their help.

Now Mrs Gardiner hugged Lizzy. "Come dear, let us go into the drawing room. I am still very confused as to what has happened in the past few days. You must tell us what happened to you!"

Elizabeth woke up to the sounds of some commotion downstairs.  
The little nap had done her some good. The ache in her head was reduced to bearable proportions. For a moment she stayed on her bed. Like most times after waking up, she needed to remind herself of where she was and what she knew. A new fact had been added that morning: that she was pregnant. With her hand she covered her stomach. She could feel the slight bump. How was this possible? When did this happen? She closed her eyes and in a flash she saw the handsome sailor again. It must have something to do with him. She felt sad that she could not remember him.

Then she roused herself. Thinking too much still increased her headache. She decided to go downstairs. She wondered what the commotion had been about and felt a little bit curious. Slowly she walked down the stairs, still not very stable on her legs. Everyone seemed to be in the drawing room. Maybe that Mr Darcy had come to visit again.

Upon opening the door, she first saw Jane and her aunt and uncle. When her eyes fell upon the other person in the room, she nearly fainted from the shock! It was as if she saw herself! The other woman stared at her open-mouthed. Elizabeth really had to hold onto the doorpost so she would not collapse. Mr Gardiner came towards her. "Come, you must sit down Miss, before you fall." He guided her to sit down and all people in the room now looked between the two women.  
"The similarity is almost scary," Jane said, "But now I do see some differences."

"Who are you?" Lizzy asked, not very polite, but that was because of her own shock at seeing _herself_ walking in.  
The lady burst out in tears. "If I am not Elizabeth, then who am I?"  
Mrs Gardiner patted her on the arm. "Dear, dear, we will find out. We really thought you were our niece, but now I see Lizzy, there is no doubt that she is the real one."

Suddenly Lizzy knew: "You _are_ Elizabeth! You must be! I have met some people in the past days who must have mistaken me for _you_. According to what they said, you must be Elizabeth Swann!"  
Something clicked in Elizabeth's mind and she nodded. "Thank you! Yes, that is my name! You see, I cannot remember anything, beyond some scattered impressions and memories that as of yet do not make much sense."

Lizzy stood up, walked towards the other lady and embraced her.  
"Excuse me for being so frank, but I have heard a lot about you and had been wondering if there would ever be a chance that I would meet you for real. And here you are, in my aunt and uncle's house no less!"

Mr Gardiner looked like he was slowly adjusting to the new circumstances. He said: "Now we have two Elizabeths in the house. How shall we keep you apart? I think Elizabeth Bennet should be called Lizzy all the time, and Miss, are we allowed to continue to call you Elizabeth, of do you prefer Miss Swann?"  
"Elizabeth will do, sir." She smiled. Then her smile faded suddenly. "But where am I to go now? Now the real Lizzy has returned."  
Mrs Gardiner said: "You do not have to go anywhere. You are not recovered yet and as long as we don't know where else you could go or whether you have family somewhere in England, you are welcome to stay!" Mr Gardiner nodded towards his wife, to show he agreed with her.

There was a knock on the door. The butler came in. He gasped at the sight of the two Elizabeths and then managed to ask: "Wha… What? How is that possible? Who is now Miss Lizzy?"  
Lizzy laughed. "That will be me, James. This is Miss Swann." He gaped for a moment longer at both, until Mr Gardiner asked: "Was there something the matter, James?"  
"Ah yes sir. Mr Darcy is here."  
"Mr Darcy?" Lizzy exclaimed. "Why is he here?"  
"Shush Lizzy, not so loud," Jane said. "He has been here a few times in the past days."

There was no time to say more, for said gentleman was led into the drawing room.  
To say he was shocked at seeing the two ladies, is slightly underrated. He closed and opened his eyes a few times, rubbed his eyes and looked again.  
Lizzy had never seen so much emotion on the gentleman's face, except maybe during his proposal.

"Mr Darcy, do come in. Some mysteries are being solved. Our Lizzy has just arrived. She had not had time yet to tell us where she had been. And this lady," Mr Gardiner pointed, "is Miss Elizabeth Swann as we just found out."

Mr Darcy got himself back together with some effort and then bowed to the ladies.  
"Did your memory come back, Miss Swann?" He asked.  
She shook her head. "Still only fragments, sir, but Lizzy seemed to have heard about me and she knew my name. And I recognised it."  
He nodded: "I see." Then he turned to Lizzy. "Miss Elizabeth? May I say, welcome back?"

Lizzy nodded half-heartedly, but was really confused. "Mr Darcy, may I ask why you are here?"  
"Lizzy!" admonished her aunt.  
"It is quite alright, Mrs Gardiner," Mr Darcy said.  
"You left Hunsford so suddenly. I visited Mr and Mrs Collins the morning after you left. Mrs Collins told me about it and was very worried about you. As I was leaving for London myself, I promised her to call here to ascertain that you had arrived safely. And when I came here I was glad to find you were here – although it seems now that we were wrong about that. As Miss Swann was not well, I was worried and hoped I could help to find out what had happened."

Lizzy nodded at him. She didn't really know what to say to him or how to react. He seemed genuinely worried about her. She had hardly seen him show emotions, but now they were all still visible on his face. There was no pride or arrogance visible either. And, he had been visiting _her_ aunt and uncle. Surely he must know that her uncle is in trade! Based on what she knew about him she had expected him to ignore them or treat them in a haughty manner. Yet, he did not seem to mind to be in their company at all.

Her attention went back to her namesake. How was it possible that she should be here?

"Lizzy!" Aunt Gardiner caught her attention. "I have called for tea. Would you now tell us about what happened to you please?"  
She nodded and started her story: "Well, I left Hunsford on Sunday afternoon…" Here she was interrupted by Jane.  
"Pardon me, Lizzy, for interrupting you. But why did you leave then? I thought you were supposed to arrive here next Monday! Did something happen?"

Lizzy's cheeks coloured deep red and she glanced at Mr Darcy. She did not wish to talk about the proposal, especially not within his hearing.  
"Ahem, I'm afraid it is probably my fault," Mr Darcy said. He himself looked quite red as well.  
"Mr Darcy!" Lizzy could not believe it! Was he going to tell her family that he had proposed to her and she had refused him?  
He glanced back at her.  
"We had a conversation that did not go too well. I'm afraid I have upset Miss Elizabeth and I guess that is why she wanted to leave."  
Lizzy nodded, still mortified. While he had not told the details, it was still too embarrassing to talk about it like this.

Mrs Gardiner saw the embarrassment on both Lizzy and Mr Darcy. There was more to this, but it had to wait. This was not the right time. Later on she would ask her niece.  
"Do continue, Lizzy." She said. "So, you left Hunsford. Did you take the post coach?"  
Lizzy was thankful for her aunt's question and deflection.

"Yes, I did. I got out at Bromley where I had to change, but I must have taken the wrong coach, for instead of here, I ended up at the docks." She then went on to tell how she had met Jim and after that Annamaria and her crew.  
At that name Elizabeth's head shot up.  
"Annamaria you say?"  
Lizzy nodded. "Yes, she told me that you both had sailed on the same ship on a few voyages."  
"Same ship? Oh!"

Elizabeth covered her forehead with her hands. A picture flashed through her mind. A ship with black sails was hunting the ship she was on and she was trying to help find a way to get out of their way. "You're daft, lady." It was Annamaria's voice. Another piece clicked into place. The realisation did make her head throb. She breathed deeply a few times until the worst had passed.

Then she gestured to Lizzy to continue her story. That lady then told her audience how it came that she had to stay the night in the inn, and how, the day after, she had joined the crew to visit their ship.  
"Truly, Lizzy?" her aunt asked. "I had expected some more sense from you."

Lizzy blushed. "I know aunt, and at some moments I did regret it. But I really wanted to see what it was like to be on a ship. They had told me so many things. They might not have been the politest people or fit for our society, but they were friendly and I feel that I really have become good friends with Annamaria. I was amazed at her skills. The way how she commanded her crew. She really knew what she was doing and she really had their respect." She smiled when she thought of her friend.

"Please continue, Lizzy," her uncle said. There was a twinkling in his eyes.  
He knew she should not have done it. People she hardly knew. But it had all turned out well. And he could see that Lizzy had enjoyed this adventure and surely had learned important things for life. Secretly he was proud of her inquisitive nature as he had always been.

Lizzy told them about the ship, the change in the weather and how they had to stay in place. She told about the moving the next day and how they finally had been able to moor at the quay just this morning.

Throughout her story she had glanced towards Mr Darcy. He must be relieved to have escaped being bound to her. He surely must detest her now for her impertinence and for how she had been a bit careless and irresponsible. Her behaviour had been all but ladylike or sensible.  
But instead of scorn, she saw fascination on his face. He seemed really eager to hear her story.

"And so I finally ended up here, three days later than I had intended."

"Oh my, Lizzy," Jane said. "I knew you are courageous; but doing all this? Were you not scared in that storm? Or when you were in that dinghy?"  
"Maybe a little," Lizzy laughed. "but I was more intrigued by everything going on and everything was new and exciting to me, so it hardly left space for being scared."

"You said that they talked about me. What did they tell you?" Elizabeth asked. She hoped for more pieces of the puzzle.  
Lizzy smiled at her. "Most of them knew you, but I believe it was Jim who saw you last, some months ago I think? He talked about a battle in the middle of a maelstrom, and a ship called the Flying Dutchman."

This time Elizabeth had to grab onto her seat, for her whole world started to spin. Pouring rain, cannon fire, clanging swords. A voice: "Elizabeth, marry me." At once she recognised the voice. With it came the rest of the memory. "Barbossa, marry us." Her own voice. More fighting. Enemies were falling all around them. "I now pronounce you husband and wife." Barbossa's voice was difficult to hear above all the battle noise. A kiss that made her forget everything around her.

"Will…" she whispered.

The people in the room looked on while she was lost in memory.

Then she spoke, a soft voice: "Yes, the battle against Lord Becket and his armada. We won, but at a great cost!" She hugged the chest to herself, tears now streaming down her face. "I lost Will. No, not entirely. Ten years…" She fell silent.

Lizzy's voice was soft and empathic: "Jim said you married? He said that your husband became the new captain of the Flying Dutchman?"  
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, we married in the middle of that battle. A captain of a ship has authority to perform marriages you know. And as we didn't know whether we would survive the battle, we thought it the best thing to do. Shortly after that he was wounded. The captain of the Dutchman was killed and Will took his place. His… task is important. Because of it, he is only allowed on land once every ten years. We spent a day together on a beach and then I had to say goodbye to him." Her crying hadn't ceased.

Lizzy embraced her. "Poor thing! That must be very hard. But know that you have found friends here who will help you if you want it."

Elizabeth smiled through her tears. "Thank you Lizzy, that means a lot." Her hand went to her stomach and she caressed it. "At least I now will have something else to remind me of Will."

Mr Darcy had been quiet through the whole of Lizzy's story and Elizabeth's discoveries. Now he said: "But it still doesn't explain how you came to be here in England. If I understand it right, all of this happened in the Caribbean? I thought I recognised the name of that Lord Becket. I read about him in the newspaper yesterday."

Elizabeth looked at him. "I have no idea! It seems that I now remember most things, or should be able to fill in the blanks over time. But I cannot remember what happened after I saw Will for the last time!"

She closed her eyes but was met with a black wall. That was how it felt. No memories whatsoever from between her standing on the beach, seeing the green flash make the Dutchman disappear and the moment she ended up on the quayside in London.

"Do you remember anything from the ship you came her on? The name perhaps? Or a person?" Lizzy asked. Elizabeth shook her head. "Nothing."

"When I left there this morning, there were still ships from since Monday. Uncle, do you think it would be possible to send someone to ask around if anyone would remember Elizabeth?"  
Her uncle looked at her. "Good thinking. If the ship is still there, hopefully they would be able to tell more. If it's gone, that's a pity, but at least we tried."  
He then summoned a footman, wrote a note and sent him to the docks to enquire.

"That reminds me," Lizzy said. "Annamaria lent me some money and paid for my stay in the inn. I promised her to pay it back. She told that they will leave either Friday or Monday. Uncle, would you allow me to visit the docks once more tomorrow, to bring her the money?"  
Mr Gardiner looked at her again with twinkling eyes. "Just to bring money, right? You're not planning to sail off with them?"  
"Henry!" warned his wife.

Lizzy smiled. "Do not worry uncle. I admit that I enjoyed my time, but I have decided that I prefer my life on shore."

"Elizabeth," Mrs Gardiner said. "Now you remember more, do you know if you have family here? Where did you live, if I may ask?"  
"I was born and grew up in England," Elizabeth said. "After my mother died, my father took me with him to Port Royal, where he became the governor. That is where I lived for eight years. Then… a lot of things happened. Too much to tell. But since then I have sailed all over the world. I even went to Singapore. Mr Gardiner, do you remember what I told you in the carriage to your warehouse?"  
"Please, you may continue to call me uncle. But yes, I remember. Was that Singapore?"  
"Yes, it was. I did not like that city. Luckily we left there after a very short time." She sighed, caught up in the memories that now flooded through her mind.

"But, Mrs Gardiner, no, I do not have family anymore. My father was killed, somewhere in the time that I was in Singapore. It was that awful Lord Becket."  
"You really seem to hate him," Mr Gardiner said.  
"Oh yes. Will and I would have married much earlier, if not for him. Lord Becket arrested both of us on the day of our wedding. We had helped a pirate escape. Both of us managed to escape as well. But he has hunted us ever since. However, he is dead now. And the world is well rid of him."

"I understood," Mr Darcy said, "that he was head of the East India Trading Company? I never liked that company." Upon a questioning look from Lizzy and Jane, he explained: "This company is very corrupt and uses slaves in many of their endeavours."

"Lord Becket was more occupied with extinguishing all pirates around the world, than actually looking after his trading. He was very cruel and has had many innocent people killed through his decisions."

Mrs Gardiner looked a bit uncomfortable. While it was good that Elizabeth finally remembered her past, she did not like talking about people being killed, especially not in her own drawing room.

There was now one question which no-one had asked yet. Jane, kind, serene Jane, could no longer wait.  
"May I ask, Elizabeth. Now that your memory is back: do you know what is in the chest?"

Elizabeth blushed at the question. She remembered now, but she could not answer that! They would think her insane! No, never! It was her secret. Instead she answered: "What is in it, is as it were part of my husband. It makes me feel closer to Will and helps me being sure that I will see him again, even though it will be a long time before that will happen. I hope you will understand why I do not want to see it in someone else's hands."

It seemed that everyone accepted her explanation and Jane found her curiosity satiated.

Elizabeth then asked to be excused. Her headache had come back in full force after all the emotions and she needed to lie down.

Lizzy wished to have a bath and her aunt had a servant prepare one.

Before she left the room, her uncle said: "Sorry Lizzy, I never answered. But yes, we can go to the docks tomorrow and you can see your friend again."

* * *

_I think this is the longest chapter in this story so far. So much to tell. I don't know if them finally meeting came out a bit anticlimactic. I found it difficult to describe. I also figured that both Gardiners and Jane are sensible people so I can't see them breaking out in hysterics etc.  
__P.s. I have just realised in this chapter that I wrote the name Swann wrong (forgot an N). I will change that later in the other chapters.  
__P.p.s. I think two more chapters and an epilogue after this, but I still have to write them.  
__I have loved reading all your comments! I really appreciate it when people tell me they like my story! :-) thank you, and keep those reviews coming. ;-)_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_The day after_

Lizzy sat in her uncle's carriage together with her uncle and Elizabeth. They were on their way to the docks.

Lizzy's first night back with her family had not been as restful as she had hoped. Since Elizabeth still slept in _her_ bed, Lizzy had joined Jane. They both had been talking for a long time. Lizzy told Jane things that she had not told to the rest of her family. She told about Mr Darcy's proposal. And about his letter! She had not mentioned Mr Bingley though.

That afternoon, after Lizzy came back downstairs from her bath, Mr Darcy had still been there. He was in deep conversation with her uncle and aunt. She heard them talking about Derbyshire and Lambton. Lizzy knew that that was where her aunt had grown up, and, since it was in the vicinity of Pemberley, both she and Mr Darcy knew some of the same people and were now in an animated conversation about the area. Again Lizzy was surprised to see such an open countenance by Mr Darcy. In the past he seemed to have been wearing a mask, always looking severe and haughty. She wondered if he only did that to keep people that he didn't like, at a distance. But why would he look at her in the same way, as he had done as well, if he professed to love her? She found him still one of the most confusing men in her acquaintance.

Mr Gardiner had excused himself and somehow Mr Darcy had managed to speak with her out of earshot of anyone else. Elizabeth had felt some apprehension, to once more have to converse with the man. He had said: "I know this must be awkward for you, but I really must apologise to you. After… our conversation on Sunday, I have had a lot of time to think. And I realise now how appalling I was. I really apologise for the way I spoke about your family. Disguise of every sort is my abhorrence, but I now realise that some things are better left unmentioned."

"Sir, does this not make it worse? Because you still had been thinking those things!"

He coloured. "I see I am still making a right mess of myself. I also now realise that you never expected a proposal, that my behaviour towards you did not give any inclination into that direction, as I had thought previously. I must admit that earlier in our acquaintance I did not wish to raise expectations for reasons I will not repeat. But later, especially at Rosings, I thought that you _must_ have noticed it and, as I said, expected my question." He stopped.

"Excuse me for still speaking about it. I am sure you do not wish me to repeat my sentiments, which were on Sunday so disgusting to you. On that evening I wrote a letter to you, because I wanted to explain some of my actions. I hoped to see you on the morning after, so I could give you the letter, but that was when you were gone." Now he took a letter out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"I hope you will do me the honour of reading it. I do realise it is a bit dated now, but the explanation still stands. If you have questions about it, I will answer them gladly."  
Lizzy took the letter tentatively from his hands. Then he stood up, bowed at her and walked away.

Lizzy had read the letter, and a few times more after that.  
She was absolutely shocked about what Mr Darcy wrote regarding his sister and Mr Wickham. She could not believe how deceived she had been!

She remembered Annamaria's warning, that it was not wise to trust a man at so short an acquaintance; and to find a way to hear both sides of the story. Here was that other side, in the letter. And it must be true! She could not believe that Mr Darcy would make up such a horrible tale about his sister. So it must be the truth! How ashamed she felt.

She still could not forgive him the way he had spoken about her family, but she started to see how appalling her own behaviour had been! Thinking about the times that she had been in his company, she now realised that maybe the man was not haughty, but rather very shy.  
And there he was on Sunday, making himself vulnerable in front of her! He had talked about his feelings; something that people in their society hardly ever did. And instead of showing him respect for it - what he deserved – she had been incredibly rude, intent on hurting him.

She had sat with her head in her hands for a while, so truly ashamed of herself, of how much pain she had caused him. Was there a way she could make amends? She had expected to never see him again, yet here he was, befriending her own family! He had said how worried he had been for her health! He had been faithfully visiting in these past days, even though it must have been mortifying for him.

She then had looked in his direction. He was just saying his goodbye to her family and caught her eye. She could only nod at him. He seemed slightly relieved at this gesture.  
Later on her uncle had said that when they would go to the docks, they would meet Mr Darcy there, for Mr Gardiner had invited him to come with them.

And now they were on their way. Jane and their aunt had decided to stay at home. Elizabeth seemed to feel well enough to come too. Lizzy had been shocked to witness the lady's bout of sickness in the morning. Elizabeth had told her then that she was with child. The previous day, the doctor had told her. It seemed that now they knew that Elizabeth was in fact married, there was no need to hide it. Jane told later on how worried she had been. Since they had assumed it was her and not Miss Swann. Lizzy could imagine their mortification.  
"What would you have done if it was me?" She had asked. "Oh Lizzy, I was truly shocked. But both our aunt and uncle said that we would take care of you no matter what."  
It was very strange still, to talk with her namesake. The lady still looked quite unwell and frequently seemed to be plagued by headaches. They still didn't know what the cause was. They hoped to find that out today.  
Uncle Gardiner's footman had come back with the news that the ship was still there and that people did remember Miss Swann's presence. They now hoped they could speak with some people and solve the rest of the mystery.

Lizzy looked forward to see her friend again for one last time.

She was a bit nervous about meeting Mr Darcy again. She had been thinking about how she had fully expected him to be disgusted by her behaviour of the past days and to clearly see his disapproval. But instead he had shown curiosity and fascination. Her uncle had told her he and Mr Darcy had spoken about her uncle's business and about opportunities to work together. Mr Darcy may be a landed gentleman, but he _was_ involved in various business enterprises, mainly as a patron or a creditor. Uncle had said that he admired Mr Darcy's sharpness of mind and his desire to learn. He had been very interested to hear about all Mr Gardiner was involved in.

Elizabeth felt nervous. Would she meet people today who knew what had happened to her? Would she meet people from her past? She knew Lizzy was going to meet with Annamaria again. She wondered what that woman's reaction would be when she saw them together.

When they arrived, the first thing they noticed was Mr Darcy waiting for them at the spot they had agreed on. He was very solicitous and asked after Elizabeth's health. Then they all set off in the direction of Annamaria's ship, Mr Darcy offering his arm to Lizzy and Mr Gardiner followed them with Elizabeth on his arm.  
There was a lot of noise and activity near the ship.

Lizzy saw Jim first and called him.  
Then she felt ashamed at raising her voice.  
Jim walked towards them. "Elizabeth? And? Elizabeth? How is this possible?" He truly looked so shocked that both ladies had to laugh.  
"Do not worry, Jim. We ourselves can hardly believe it yet. I am Elizabeth Bennet as you know, and this is Elizabeth Swann as you probably recognised."  
The man took Elizabeth's hand.  
"It _is_ you!" he exclaimed.

Elizabeth blushed a bit. "I think I recognise you," she said.  
"How are you, Miss Swann? Or do I have to call you Mrs Turner? I remember that you got married."  
She nodded. "You may call me either of them, although, thinking of it, maybe Mrs Turner would be better."

Lizzy and Mr Gardiner nodded. Yes, of course. As she was with child, it would be best that people knew that she was actually a married woman.

Now Lizzy introduced Mr Gardiner and Mr Darcy to Jim.  
Then the latter took them over the gangplank up on the ship.  
"Cap'n!" He shouted. "We have visitors!"  
Annamaria came out of her cabin. "Elizabeth! You came back!"  
Lizzy laughed. "Did you doubt me?"  
"No, I did not. But I had resolved that I did not really mind the money. However, I am very glad to see you again, and… is that the real Miss Swann?" She now looked equally shocked, as did everyone else who walked past them.  
"It is me, Annamaria. I recognise you!"  
Annamaria raised her eyebrows.

"You see, I lost my memory for some reason. Lizzy's uncle found me in this area on Monday and thought I was his niece. He took me to his house and I have been there ever since. Until Lizzy returned yesterday I had loose flashes of memories, but when she told about what you all had been telling about me, most memories came back. Now I only need to find out what happened to me to lose my memory in the first place."  
"Well, it really is a surprise to see you again!"

Lizzy then introduced her uncle and Mr Darcy. Annamaria raised her eyebrows once more when she heard the gentleman's name. Lizzy coloured.  
"Can I offer you some refreshments?" Annamaria asked. "We've got fresh food aboard again, you know." They declined politely but accepted her offer of a tour over the ship.

Being on a ship invoked more memories by Elizabeth and she did not pay much attention to her companions. Instead she was lost in thought. Various conversations with Will resurfaced and it pained her that she would have to wait so long before she would hear his voice again.

Later on, Annamaria managed to speak with Lizzy alone and asked her about the presence of Mr Darcy. Lizzy explained all that had happened since she had arrived at Gracechurch street and what she had spoken of with that gentleman since. "You were right, Annamaria," she said. "He offered some explanation and it has left me thoroughly ashamed of my own conduct."  
"Well, I'm sure it will all work out, now you have made up," Annamaria said.  
"Made up? Not really. And I doubt about it working out. I am sure he will soon loose whatever feelings he has for me, after the way I treated him."  
Annamaria laughed. "I am not so sure about that. I see the way he looks at you."  
Lizzy blushed of mortification. "Let us stop talking about it, please.  
Now, is all going according to schedule?" she asked. "Will you be able to sail out tomorrow?"  
Annamaria nodded. "I am fairly sure we will. Most cargo is loaded now."

Mr Gardiner wished to speak with Annamaria. Later on he told the others that he had made a business deal with her. She would bring some specific goods back for him whenever she came back to England. Lizzy was delighted to hear it, for it meant there would be a chance that in the future she would see her friend again.

While Mr Gardiner and Annamaria were talking, and Elizabeth stood on deck, staring out over the water, Mr Darcy and Lizzy stood together.

Mr Darcy look anxiously at Lizzy. "Have you… read my letter?" He asked.  
She nodded, with her eyes averted.  
"I am very, very ashamed of how I treated you, Mr Darcy. I am so sorry."  
"Miss Elizabeth, please do not take the blame. What did you say that I did not deserve to hear? You have opened my eyes to my own conduct. It has hurt me, yes, but it was for my own good."  
She looked at him, a bit disbelieving.  
"Truly, Miss Elizabeth, you have nothing to reproach yourself for!"

"Still, I do feel it. Talking with Annamaria some days ago, opened my eyes a bit to my inability to read other people's characters. I will endeavour to learn and improve myself from now on!"  
He smiled for the first time in their conversation.  
"And so will I! Now, Miss Elizabeth," He sounded shy again. "I do not wish to lose your acquaintance. May I… may I call on you?"

Lizzy stared at him. Did he mean that? She hesitated. She was not sure if she wanted it. Even though he had explained how he came to his conclusions about Jane and his reasons behind his actions, the fact still stood that he had separated her from Mr Bingley.

"What about my sister?" she asked.  
He looked down. "It is now clear that I was mistaken. I will find a way to mention Miss Bennet to Bingley."  
"Will you own to your mistakes towards him?"  
"Do you wish me to?"  
"Yes! I think he should know the truth and then _he_ should be the one to decide what his next action will be. I did realise – no offence to your friend – that he might be a bit too easily persuadable. I think that he should learn to make his own decisions."

"Another mistake of mine," Mr Darcy said. "Instead of helping him to make his own decisions, too easily I made those decisions for him. And his sisters have their own ways to get him to do what they want.  
Excuse me, I should not wish to speak ill of my friends."  
Lizzy laughed. "I am afraid it was I who infected you to speak so frankly. After all, I started it." Then she became thoughtful.

"In the few days that I was with these people on this ship, I have learned so many things. One of the things was, that what our society dictates, is not always the best for people. And it's definitely not universal. I have learned a lot from Annamaria. I have learned that it is sometimes best to say things as clear as possible. In our society we are very good in skirting around the edges and not saying exactly what we mean, simply because it might not be polite."

They were interrupted by Mr Gardiner who said they must go.  
It was very important that they took the time to talk with people on the Margarita, as it turned out this was the ship that brought Elizabeth to London.  
They said their farewells to Annamaria and her crew and then left the ship.

Soon they found the other ship and Mr Gardiner asked permission to speak to the captain.  
He invited them on board and was surprised to see the ladies.  
"Miss, such a surprise to see you again," He said to Elizabeth. "You look better than when you left us on Monday, I must say."

"Sir," she asked shyly. "I wish to know how I came to be on board of your ship. I do not know what happened to me and I am trying to find out."  
"Ah," he said. "We thought you must have lost your memory! Every time we asked you if you knew your name, or where you were going, you did not know."

"My name is Elizabeth Turner," she then said. "My friends helped me figure it out. What do you know?"  
He first asked them to sit down.

Then he said. "We were on our way to England, only just had left the Caribbean. One morning someone spotted you in the water afloat on a piece of debris. We carried you on board. You were unconscious and remained so for most of the voyage. We tended to your wounds and a few of my crew nursed you. Only some days before we came here, you finally woke up, but you appeared so thoroughly confused and could not tell us anything. When coming here, we thought it best that you would stay here and find help. I did notice that someone spoke to you. I believe it was you, Mr Gardiner. I am glad it all worked out."

"So," Elizabeth said softly. "You found me floating in sea. Did I have my head wound then?"  
The captain nodded. "It took a long time before it finally started to heal. We were worried that you would not survive."

Elizabeth now looked a little bit disappointed.  
"This means we still don't know how I came to be at sea and what caused my injury."  
"It is very likely that the ship you were on, was shipwrecked, although we did not find other evidence for that. The only thing you were carrying with you, was that chest. We were surprised that you had not lost it at sea. And we simply could not pry it from your hand."

Elizabeth coloured. "Thank you for not forcing me to give it up. I would not have survived without it." This she was convinced of.  
"Yes," the captain said. "We noticed that whenever your fever was raging and you were tossing and turning, it was the chest that calmed you down."

"We thank you so much for your time, captain!" Mr Gardiner said. "I do believe your information has helped us on. My niece told me that your ship was delayed?"  
The captain looked at Lizzy. She explained. "I was on board of the Diamond for a few days. They told me you had planned to leave on Monday."  
"Yes, we were delayed because of the weather and some other things. But this afternoon we will sail out."  
"How fortunate," said Mr Gardiner, "that we found you just in time!"

They all thanked him and then left the ship.

By now, Elizabeth was thoroughly exhausted and once more her head was pounding. It had been a long morning and there had been many revelations.

They went back to the coach. Mr Gardiner helped Elizabeth in and Mr Darcy helped Lizzy.  
"Miss Elizabeth. You have not answered my question yet."  
She knew instantly what he meant. "If I may ask you to try to rectify the situation with your friend, then yes, you may call on me."  
Such a big smile now appeared on Mr Darcy's face as she had never seen on him before. It made her blush.  
"I will see to it!" he replied. "Until tomorrow."  
"Until then," she answered.

Coming home, Elizabeth felt so wretched that she went straight to bed. Unfortunately, it brought no rest. She was plagued with horrible dreams. She dreamt that she was on a ship in a terrible storm. It almost felt worse than any storm she had previously experienced. Seasickness overtook her; something that had never happened to her before. She was in a little cabin and felt the walls closing in on her. She had to get out! With her last efforts, she made it to the deck and breathed in the sea air. It instantly calmed her and she felt better already.

Then, without warning, something knocked her in the head and before she could utter any sound, she was swept overboard.

Drenched in sweat she woke up.  
Lizzy sat next to her and gave her a damp cloth to wipe her forehead.

"I… such a horrible dream." She stopped. The picture was so vivid. She felt the tossing of the sea, the wind blowing, she heard the noises of the ship as if it was ingrained in her memory. She could feel landing in the sea, trying to stay afloat until she found a piece of wood. It was big enough for her to climb on. Then she had noticed the blood trickling out of the stinging wound on her forehead, before losing consciousness.

She opened her eyes and hugged the chest. Slowly her breathing returned to normal.  
"I think… I just found out what happened to me. The dream was horrible, but it was part of the memory. I remember being on a ship in a heavy storm, I went on deck, because I felt sick and then was hit by something, which then swept me overboard. I guess that explains the rest."

She took some deep breaths, to dispel the strong emotions that were coursing through her.

Lizzy was stroking her hand.  
"I hope that, now you know what happened, it will help you to recover. But," she mused. "What a miracle that you never lost the chest."

Elizabeth shivered at the thought. "Please do not speak of it. It would be my biggest fear!"

_A.N. Yay! I managed to write another chapter! :-) I hope you enjoyed it. Now there should be one more chapter and an epilogue. _


	11. Chapter 11

_So, here is the last chapter, although there will also be an epilogue._

**Chapter 11**

"Mother, this is Elizabeth Turner," Lizzy told Mrs Bennet. "Now, as I told you in my letter, Mrs Turner is still recovering from a terrible accident, so she will need to rest a lot. Please do not overload her with questions."  
"Miss Lizzy, what makes you think I could not refrain from being curious?"  
Lizzy made the effort to not roll her eyes.  
Then Mrs Bennet greeted Mrs Turner properly.  
"Welcome Mrs Turner. I hope your stay here in the countryside will help to improve your health!"  
Elizabeth smiled. Lizzy had told her of her mother's antics, so she felt prepared to meet Mrs Bennet.  
"Thank you," she said.  
Lizzy then took her upstairs to her room, so that they could refresh themselves from their journey.

It was two weeks since Lizzy had returned to Gracechurch Street after her adventure. Many things had happened.  
On the Friday after they had visited the docks, Mr Darcy had come to call on her and had brought Mr Bingley with him. Lizzy had been delighted to witness the reunion between her sister and the gentleman.

Mr Darcy had later said to her: "I can now see how right you were. I am ashamed of my wrong assumptions."  
Lizzy had smiled at him: "Please Mr Darcy, let us try to forget all those unfortunate events. My philosophy is that you should think only of the past when its remembrance gives you pleasure."  
He had returned her smile; it looked so much better on him than the scowl she so often had seen before.  
"I will endeavour to learn to apply this into my life, Miss Elizabeth," was his reply.

In the week following, he and Mr Bingley had called on them almost daily. Mr Bingley was told the essence of what had happened and had good-naturedly accepted the acquaintance with Mrs Turner.  
After a week, Jane went home to Longbourn, on the scheduled date.  
Lizzy stayed with Elizabeth until the latter was well enough to travel for a longer distance. Her health had improved a great deal. She was not so awfully thin anymore, and her headaches were less severe in nature.  
Now that they knew why she was sick in the mornings, their worries about that had also abated. Besides, after the first week, she was not sick every morning anymore.  
They had decided that Elizabeth would benefit from the fresh air in the countryside and Lizzy's parents agreed to have a guest over for an indefinite amount of time.

With tears in her eyes, Elizabeth had said goodbye to the Gardiners. "Do not worry, my dear," Mrs Gardiner had said. "We will see each other soon."  
Elizabeth smiled through her tears. "Thank you so much, both of you, for all your care. I will never forget!"

Mr Bingley had said he would reopen Netherfield and hoped he would be allowed to court Jane officially. Said lady was so happy that she could hardly believe it.  
Elizabeth was very happy for her.  
She was surprised that she herself felt some disappointment that Mr Darcy would not join him for several weeks.

When they had seen each other last, he had told her he had business to attend to at Pemberley, but that he would come to Hertfordshire when he was finished.  
During his visits at her aunt and uncle's she had gotten to know him a lot better than she had before. She had to admit she started to like him. His conversation was intelligent and he was not afraid of her opinion. He respected her own intelligence and inquisitiveness. Although she had noticed some of that in their debates at Netherfield during autumn, it still surprised her. She had surmised him to be a man that would like his wife to be demure and un-opinionated. And utterly ladylike. She was none of those and he seemed to delight in it.

Now it was good to be back home. She also enjoyed the company of Mrs Turner. Now that Elizabeth felt a little better and most of her memory was restored, her character became more visible. She was a strong, opinionated woman, who was not afraid of expressing that opinion. At first especially Mrs Bennet and Mary had to get used to her way of talking. During the years that Elizabeth had been absent from England, she had lost the affinity with that culture. Everything she had been through in her life up till now, had formed her into a person who spoke her mind and had come to disregard a society which solely depended on male leadership.

Of course this was something that Mary could not understand and therefore kept her distance. Mrs Bennet came to like the woman, especially after she heard that the lady was expecting. She commiserated with her that she would not be able to see her husband for a long time.

Elizabeth soon truly came to enjoy living at Longbourn. It was true, it was a noisy household – whenever it became too much she either went to her room or went on a walk with Lizzy – but she could see the affection between the members of the family. Lizzy's youngest sisters were loud and exuberant but seemed to enjoy listening to Elizabeth's stories and adventures.

Of course they all thought she made most of it up. Only Lizzy knew that most of it was actually the truth. Both ladies had quickly formed a strong friendship. They spoke about most things with each other.  
Especially Lizzy noticed that she enjoyed this, as Jane spent more and more time with Mr Bingley. She came to realise that likely very soon, Jane would leave home to marry Mr Bingley. Their close relationship would never be as it was before.

Mr Darcy came back and he continued to court Lizzy as he had in London.  
Mr and Mrs Gardiner invited Lizzy to join them on a tour to the north in the summer. Lizzy was excited about the invitation, but then was wondering if Elizabeth could not come with them.  
However, Elizabeth declined.  
"It is very kind of you, Lizzy, to think of me. But by that time I will be close to my confinement and travelling great distances would not be wise and very uncomfortable besides."

The pregnancy progressed well. The ladies realised what a miracle it was that not only Elizabeth herself had survived her accident at sea and subsequent illness, but that her baby had also survived it. Of course they had to wait to see how the child would be when it was born.

Mr Darcy invited the Gardiners and Lizzy to stay at Pemberley during their tour. From there he could show them the county and Mrs Gardiner could visit her old friends.  
Jane stayed at home to look after the Gardiner children. She was helped in this by Elizabeth.

Sometime before Lizzy left with her aunt and uncle, the militia would leave Meryton and move to Brighton. Lydia was invited to join her friend Mrs Forster and go with them to Brighton.  
Mr Bennet, warned by Lizzy and Mr Darcy himself about the dangers of it, forbade her to go.  
Lydia behaved as a very petulant girl and Mr Bennet would have given in – just to get rid of her endless noise – if not for the joint efforts of Lizzy and Mrs Turner. Between the two of them they managed to divert her thoughts from the situation.

"Once Lizzy leaves, who will I have to talk to?" Elizabeth said, a bit cheekily. "Jane will be occupied by the children and Kitty will visit Maria Lucas."  
Even though Elizabeth was about the same age as Lizzy, it was because she was a married woman and had suffered a lot, that Lydia looked up at her. The fact that the lady was the wife of a captain of a ship with a very important mission, raised her highly in Lydia's esteem. Elizabeth of course never told what mission that was, but declared it to be strictly confidential, only known to the parties involved.

Elizabeth, being an only child, greatly enjoyed living in this family and felt how it would be to have sisters.

Lizzy very much enjoyed her visit to Pemberley. She came to know Mr Darcy's sister and they soon became good friends. The more Lizzy saw of Mr Darcy, the better she came to know him, especially at his own home. Very soon she realised that she started to fall in love with him.

Before they left to return to Longbourn, Mr Darcy took her apart when they were walking through the garden, and proposed to her a second time. This time, with her whole heart, she said yes.  
Both of them felt to be the happiest of people!  
Their joy was complete to learn, upon their return, that Mr Bingley had asked Jane to marry him.  
It was decided to have a joint wedding in August.

Elizabeth was happy for her friends, but it also made her melancholy. She missed Will terribly and there was nothing she could do about it. Many a night she cried herself to sleep, hugging the chest closely to herself. The beating of his heart made her feel calm again, but how she longed to see him, to hold _him_ in her arms!  
She was glad that she was carrying his child. It would give her something to live for and make the wait bearable.

The wedding was a grand feast. Mrs Bennet had outdone herself and the two couples only had eyes for each other.

After their honeymoon, Lizzy and Darcy would return, so that Lizzy could be with Elizabeth for the birth of the child. And as soon as it was possible to travel, Elizabeth and her baby would return with them to Pemberley. Mr Darcy had a cottage on his land, situated fairly near the main house, where Mrs Turner could live. The ladies could then visit as often as they liked.

On a sunny day in September, Elizabeth gave birth to a healthy son. Mrs Gardiner had come over from London and assisted her. After the birth, Lizzy entered the room to admire the baby and to congratulate her friend.

Freshly back from her honeymoon, Lizzy looked very happy. Married life became her well!

"How are you going to call him, Elizabeth?" she asked.  
Elizabeth looked very tired, but smiled. "I will call him Henry, after your uncle. For I do not know what would have happened to me, had he not found me on that day in London!"

"Henry Turner, a beautiful name!" Lizzy said.

"And he looks just like his father," added Elizabeth. She smiled again while she nursed her new son.

_So, what do you think? Maybe this chapter is a bit of a rush. I am sure it would be possible to prolong this story and go into detail on some points. But for now, after the epilogue I declare this story finished. I hope you all enjoyed reading it! :-) _


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_9 years after_

"Land ho!" came a shout from the crows' nest.

Lizzy breathed a sigh of relief.  
Their journey from England to here had gone well, but she had to admit that she longed to see some land again and walk upon some solid surface.

She did not regret their decision to join Elizabeth and Henry on their voyage to the Caribbean. Especially since they were making said voyage on Annamaria's ship.  
During the years, Lizzy had met her friend a few times whenever the Diamond came to England.  
Darcy and Mr Gardiner both started to use her and her ship in their business. Annamaria always found the best things at honest prices. This cooperation had made Gardiner's import even more prosperous.

For now, Mr Darcy had given the management of Pemberley over to his cousin, who had resigned from the army.  
The Darcys' three children had gone to stay with their grandparents and near their cousins at Netherfield.

Lizzy missed her children, but knew they were in safe hands. And she was very glad for the opportunity to travel.

Through the years she had grown very close to Elizabeth. Little Henry was as a big brother to her own children. They had been jealous at him, that he got to travel and they had to stay in England. But when Lizzy had explained that Henry was going to meet his father for the first time, they had ceased complaining.

The boy was bright and had a very inquisitive nature. Even though he was only just nine years old, he had read many of the books at Pemberley library. He was especially interested in books about the sea, seafaring and legends.

His mother had told him about his father and the boy, seeing his mother's melancholy by times, when she missed her husband, was determined to try and find a way to have his father join them.

Fitzwilliam stood next to Lizzy and smiled at her.  
"I can see you can't wait to be on land again," He said.  
She laughed. "Yes, but I just know you are the same."  
"It is true," he admitted. "I am curious what we will find. And I do hope we get to meet this Will Turner. In the past years I've heard so much about him, that I can hardly believe that I've never even met the fellow."

They both looked at Elizabeth and her son, who stood at the bow, looking towards the island ahead of them.

For Elizabeth, the years had flown past for which she was very grateful. It was not always easy to raise her child, but she felt blessed to have such good friends in the Darcys.  
From since he was little, Henry was such a curious child. He talked when he was one-and-a-half and he could read when he was three. He always had so many questions that often Elizabeth had no idea what to answer. She was grateful for their unlimited access to the Pemberley library. Besides, often Mr Darcy, when he came back from a trip to London, would have bought yet another book for Henry to read. Mr Gardiner did the same. When he heard about Henry's interests about nautical stories and legends, he had his agents look out for books and more information to satisfy the boy. Elizabeth was so glad to have the Gardiners in her life. They had become like parents to her and they treated Henry as their grandson.

Three hours later the ship reached a little harbour on the island.

All of them had to adjust to walking on dry land again. Annamaria laughed at them.  
"Don't worry, you will lose your sea legs soon enough," she said.  
Annamaria, who had been on this island before, had found there to be some little villages where it was likely they find some place to live.

They were lucky and found a few cottages very near each other. The Darcys stayed in one and the Turners stayed in the other.

Darcy embraced his wife when they entered the little cottage. "Well, wife, I believe we haven't been together, just the two of us, since our honeymoon."  
Lizzy laughed. "I believe you are right. But it comes with a cost, you know," she said mischievously.  
"What is that?" he asked.  
"Well, as we will have no servants, it means that you will have to light the fire every day yourself. Oh, and I will have to learn how to cook."  
"I'm sure we will survive," he grimaced. "We could ask a lady in the village to help us out. What do you think?"  
Lizzy nodded. "But let's first explore this place."

Soon they were settled in their little house and so were Elizabeth and Henry.  
They found a lady who was willing to help both families, with some tasks in the house like washing clothes, but Lizzy was adamant that she would learn how to cook. Especially in the beginning this gave quite a few burnt meals and inedible food, - not to mention copious amounts of teasing by her husband - but after a few weeks she started to get the hang of it.

As the time drew nearer, Elizabeth could not hide her excitement, but she felt some dread as well. She remembered the story of Calypso and Davy Jones. Would Will turn up at the exact time? She truly hoped he would. Ten years was such a long time! But then she remembered how glad she was to _have_ this chance to see him again.  
He could have died on that day and she would have never seen him again.

The weeks flew past and Lizzy had taken to write down everything that happened, which was not very much; their life on the island was very tranquil so far. But she wished to tell her children all that had happened. She also wrote letters to her family, although very few ships visited the island. It was very likely that they themselves might arrive back in England before their letters.

Finally, it was the day, exactly ten years after Elizabeth had seen Will for the last time.  
The Darcys had stayed at home.

Elizabeth had said she truly wished them to see her husband, but Lizzy hoped to give as much time as possible for the Turners to meet each other again, without having other people around.

It was still very early in the morning; the dawn had not lifted yet. When they walked towards the beach, Elizabeth heard her son sing her own childhood pirate song. She smiled. Then she pointed towards the horizon. "Pay attention Henry, so you do not miss the green flash."  
He looked with big eyes in the right direction and after some minutes, there it was!

Elizabeth felt so many emotions at once that she really did not know what to do with them. There was much anticipation and happiness, but also some apprehension.

After what felt like hours, the Flying Dutchman threw out its anchor near the beach and a little boat departed from the ship.  
Henry ran ahead of his mother, in anticipation of meeting his father.

Their meeting was indescribable to Elizabeth.

Will hadn't aged at all and looked as handsome as before.  
She flew him around his neck.  
"Oh Will, I have missed you so much."  
"So have I, my love."

Then she introduced his son to him and both father and son took the time to get to know each other a little bit. Henry asked many questions about his father's life.  
Elizabeth asked about the crew and heard that all of them remained faithful to their duty. He told her that Bootstrap sent his greetings.

Now slowly they made their way towards the cottages. Elizabeth told about all that had happened to her after their last meeting. Will was shocked to hear about her accident, but was glad that she had found such good friends.

Part of the day was spent talking; Will met the Darcys and they had a good time together. Will talked some time with his son, but after a while he really longed to be alone with Elizabeth.  
The Darcys offered to look after Henry and the couple spent some hours together in each other's arms.

When they got dressed again, Elizabeth said: "I have missed you terribly all these years, but it was worth it. So often I have longed to be with you. I was glad to have Henry to care for, and to have friends to distract me, but here in your arms is where I belong."

Will kissed his wife thoroughly.

"Such is our fate! But I will cherish this day for the next ten years."  
Then he smiled. "Do you think we made another child?" Elizabeth smiled back at him. "I hope so."

**The end!**

_So, that's it! I hope you enjoyed reading this story! I've seen many other ideas in the reviews. Who knows, one day I could come back to this story and expand it. Oh, and before I forget, the two Elizabeth's are not twins or so, probably just doppelgangers. And their family does see the difference when they are together, so it turns out they are not entirely identical, but enough to confuse people.  
Thank you so much for everyone reading, following and reviewing. Much Appreciated! Jolanda_


	13. Extra chapter Wickham meets Pirate King

_Hello! I was re-reading this story and came up with an extra chapter. This takes place a few weeks into Elizabeth Turner's stay with the Bennet family at Longbourn  
__It might be a bit violent but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless!_

**Wickham meets the Pirate King  
**_will he live to regret it?_

Elizabeth followed the now familiar path through the field up the slopes of Oakham mount. Today she was on her own because Lizzy had to go into Meryton with one of her sisters. Elizabeth breathed in deeply. She truly enjoyed the fresh air in the countryside. It was a joy to experience spring in such a way after years of mostly tropical heat. Not that she had ever complained about that.

In the past few weeks Lizzy had shown her all her favourite spots in the area and Elizabeth had adopted Oakham mount as her own favourite. The view around was magnificent and although it was of course very different from the endless waves of the ocean, it still gave her the feeling of freedom.  
She felt so much stronger now and was glad that her headaches were gone.

She sat down on a log and closed her eyes to the sunshine. She truly felt at peace. Her only regret was not having her husband at her side. She caressed the chest in her hand. Sometimes she found herself even talking to it. Fortunately, so far only Lizzy had once caught her doing that, and since Lizzy knew most of her story anyway, she didn't feel too embarrassed.

Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her. She opened her eyes and turned around. She recognised the red coat of one of the militia soldiers. When he came closer she saw it was Mr Wickham. Lizzy had told her about the scoundrel and she knew that Elizabeth had warned the people in Meryton to not trust the man.  
Elizabeth herself had only seen him from afar on the street and had no wish to meet the man.

Yet here he was, walking towards herself with determined steps.

"Good morning, Miss Elizabeth," he said with a cheerful tone. But Elizabeth heard some malice in it.  
"Sir, I am not Miss Elizabeth and we have not been introduced before," she said with a tight voice.  
"Oh, I know you, madam," this did not sound friendly at all. "I do not know what you are trying to do, but I know you and what you have done."

Elizabeth had now stood up and took a few steps away from the man.

"You have ruined my reputation here. No one extends me credit anymore and I cannot even escape the militia now, because they would then hang me for desertion. I do not know why you suddenly believe what Darcy told about me. I thought you cleverer than that. Well, it seems I was wrong."

"Sir, you are mistaken. As I said, I am _not_ Miss Elizabeth."

"Do not lie to me, you wench," Wickham now growled.

He came now towards her. Elizabeth started to feel a little scared. She clenched the chest under one arm and held out the other to keep the man at a distance.

"You ruined my reputation. Now I will ruin yours!" His tone was menacing.

Suddenly he put his hands on her shoulders and roughly brought his mouth onto hers. Elizabeth's survival instincts came alive and she bit his lip. She remembered how this had worked with Sao Feng.

The man winced and stepped back. "You… you witch." He tried to slap her but she stepped back. Again he came upon her, now truly furious. He grabbed her around her neck.

Elizabeth felt anger spilling out of her. Without letting go of the chest, she reached the man's sabre on his side, pulled it and held it against his throat.

With a cry he let go of her neck and stepped back. Now it was Elizabeth's turn to step forward. No matter what he did, he could not escape his own sabre pointing at his throat.

Elizabeth could see he was scared, but not outwitted yet. She anticipated the movement of his hand to grab his pistol and sliced the flesh of his arm.

"Ahh!" he shouted and now grabbed his arm. "How dare you!" He tried to grab the end of the sabre with his other hand, but Elizabeth held it out of his reach. When he moved forward again, she sliced his other arm.

She could see the wounds were not deep, but they must hurt a lot.

Instead of giving up, he launched at her again. He met with his sword in his stomach.

This time he fell on the ground and seemed to fight for breath.

Elizabeth observed him from a distance, keeping the sabre pointed at him.

In the past years, she had fought many men and seen many different reactions. She knew the wounds she had inflicted on him were not fatal. She hoped that they would weaken him enough so he would give up. But she had to make sure that was the case.  
She was no coward and would not run away. She was pirate King not for nothing. Besides, it was unwise to turn your back upon your enemy.

So she looked at him while trying to get her breathing under regulation again.

After a minute or two, Wickham looked up and seemed surprised she was still there. Then he stood up, still a bit unstable.  
"You're a fool that you're still here!" He grumbled.  
"How did you learn sword-fight anyway?"

Elizabeth did not answer but kept her eyes on his every movement.

It proved that the man himself was a fool, for again he tried to attack her. She scratched the wound on his stomach with the sabre, and he retreated again, howling in pain.

Then he advanced anew. This time she placed the sabre on his throat with such force, that some blood started to trickle out. He stopped in his tracks and tried to move away, but Elizabeth made sure she didn't break the contact with his skin.

"Mr Wickham. The next move you make, will cause your death," She spoke through gritted teeth.

His breathing was ragged. "You won't kill me," he panted. "You wouldn't dare."

She pressed the sword a bit further and the man gasped.  
"Do not provoke me or you'll regret it!"

Suddenly two sets of footsteps were heard and from the corner of her eye, she saw Lizzy and Mr Darcy coming towards them.

"Wickham, what do you think you're doing," growled the latter.

Wickham tried to turn and Elizabeth followed his movement. She knew he might try to escape, or worse, attack her friends.

"Elizabeth," Lizzy said. "What happened?"

Wickham now gaped at the two women.

"That, that woman attacked me!" He whined, proving that he was definitely a fool.

Elizabeth pricked him again and the man winced.

"Mr Darcy, could you please relieve him of his pistol and then find a way to bind his arms?" Elizabeth asked. The man obeyed.

"Don't try anything or I'll prick through," she warned Mr Wickham.

Soon Wickham was bound and lying on the ground, whining because of his pain.  
Elizabeth still kept the sword pointed at him, but she relaxed slightly.

"What happened?" Lizzy asked.

"I was sitting here, enjoying the view, when he came upon me and started harassing me. He said I had ruined his reputation, so he was now going to ruin mine."

Mr Darcy laughed without mirth.  
"He has ruined his own reputation long ago. Stop blaming everyone else, Wickham."

The man on the ground grumbled, but didn't speak.

"And then?" Lizzy asked.

Elizabeth breathed deeply. Now she started to feel the effects of the attack. She handed the sabre over to Mr Darcy and then sat down. Lizzy sat next to her.

"He tried to kiss me, so I bit him. Then he tried to strangle me and I grabbed his sabre. I've never met such a fool." She spat at the whimpering man on the ground.  
"Instead of desisting after I sliced his arm, he kept trying to attack me. Well, if he survives his wounds, he will have to bear the shame of being overpowered by a woman."

When Elizabeth had gathered her strength again, they all made their way down the hill, towards Meryton. Mr Darcy had to nearly drag Mr Wickham, since that man seemed to have lost more blood than they had thought and the pain had weakened him considerably.

At the militia headquarters Elizabeth had to tell Colonel Forster what had happened. She had bruises on her neck to prove his attack. Wickham would be sent to prison for all his misdeeds.

Mr Darcy accompanied both ladies back to Longbourn.  
"Are you alright, Mrs Turner?" he asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "I still feel a bit overwhelmed by what happened, but I am sure I will be fine soon."

"You were very brave," Lizzy said.

Elizabeth laughed. "I have been in many sword-fights over the past few years. It's not that special. But I must say this feels very good."

"What do you mean?" Mr Darcy asked.

"Well, I believe Wickham's ego suffered the most. No matter what he did, he would have lost. He was a fool to continue to provoke me, but if he had run away, he would have been a coward, fleeing from a woman no less."

She turned to Lizzy: "Men underestimate us most of the time. Either their honour forbids them to fight a woman. Or they think we would never be able to win or that we would not dare to kill. How often I have used that to my advantage!" She laughed at the shocked faces of her friends.

"But I believe my fighting days are over. I'd rather not meet the likes of Wickham again. I have to protect my baby now. I am glad you both turned up when you did!"

_I hope you liked it. It is quite nice to have Wickham losing to a kick-ass woman. ;-) _


End file.
